ASSESSMENT OF PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

IN BUSINESS STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION

AMONG COMPANIES IN KADUNA TOWN

By

Adekola Ali

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE ST CLEMENTS UNIVERSITY,

TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS, BRITISH WEST INDIES IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE
DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

ABSTRACT
This research work entitled Assessment of Performance Measurement in
Business Strategy Implementation Among Companies in Kaduna Town;
reports the impact of effectiveness, efficiency, client and employee satisfaction,
research and development, and a firms corporate social responsibility on a firms
performance. The relationship of these variables to the success of business strategies is
also reported in this work. The research looked at problems that are usually faced in
the various approaches used in assessing a firms performance. It also carried out a
comparative analysis of both quantitative and qualitative performance of firms. Samples
from 15 private limited liability companies and 15 public limited liability companies were
selected using the random sampling technique for analysis. The Regression and ChiSquare techniques were used to verify that there is no significant relationship between
financial ratios and business strategy. The techniques were also used to prove that
there is no significant relationship between a firms production effectiveness and its
business strategy amongst other hypotheses. The research work however revealed that
most staff members at the lower level of the firms are not involved in the development
of various strategies, thus making it difficult for them to the implementation. The
researcher

recommends

interactive

process

of

thought,

participation

and

experimentation should be combined in developing effective and successful strategies.

Table of Contents

Page

Chapter One

1.1

Background to the problem

1.2

Statement of the problem

1.3

Objectives of the study

1.4

Research questions

1.5

Research hypotheses

1.6

Significance of the study

1.7

Limitation of the study

1.8

Delimitation of study

1.9

Definition of terms

Chapter Two

10

Literature review

10

2.0

Defining management and strategic management

10

2.1

Strategic management defined

12

2.2

Strategic management schools

14

2.3

Strategic management dynamics

18

2.4

Competitive strategies

21

2.5

Ways to overcome fragmentation

25

2.6

Strategy formulation in fragmented industries

29

2.7

Competitive strategy in declining industries

30

2.8

Strategic options in declining industry

36

2.9

Competition in global industries

40
3

2.10

Impediments to global competition

41

2.11

Sources of global competitive advantage

42

2.12

Strategic alternatives in global industries

46

2.13

Competitive strategy in emerging industries

51

2.14

Common structural features of emerging industries

52

2.15

Strategic choices in emerging industry

57

2.16

Strategy development process

66

2.17

Levels of strategy

74

2.18

Strategic gap analyses

80

2.19

Strategic analysis

82

2.20

Strategy in touch with the macro-economy

93

2.21

Strategic management issues

96

2.22

Corporate resources and personal factor

101

2.23

Finance and accounting factor

103

2.24

Factors affecting corporate marketing strategy

105

2.25

Growth strategy for current markets

107

2.26

Stages of product life cycle

112

2.27

Dynamic aspects of marketing strategy.

113

2.28

Strategy choices

114

2.29

Expansion strategy

115

2.30

Retrenchment strategy

116

2.31

Combination strategy

117

2.32

Strategy and games theory

121

2.33

Strategy implementation and control

124
4

2.34

Strategy implementation framework

127

2.35

Strategic control and evaluation

129

2.36

Contemporary approach to strategic control

131

2.37

Key strategic management variables

143

2.38

Corporate governance failures

144

2.39

Importance of corporate governance

145

2.40

Corporate social responsibility

146

2.41

Leadership

149

2.42

Financial variables

150

Chapter Three

155

3.0

Methodology

155

3.1

Canonical correlation techniques

155

3.2

Multivariate discriminant analysis (MDA)

156

3.3

The probit technique

157

3.4

The logit technique

157

3.5

Linear programming (LP) technique

158

3.6

Regression techniques

160

3.7

Justification of regression techniques

167

3.8

Chi square technique:

167

3.9

Chi square basic assumptions

167

3.10

Computing Chi Square

168

3.11

Interpreting the Chi Square value

169

3.12

Test of hypotheses

169
5

3.13

Instrument used

170

3.14

Research population and sample size

171

3.15
172

Justification of the sample selection

Chapter Four

174

4.0

Data presentation and analysis

174

4.1

Introduction

174

4.1.1 Trends analysis of selected companies financial performance

175

4.2

Implications of performance measurement and business strategy

204

4.3

Regression analysis

205

4.4

Analysis of our least square model

209

4.5

Test of hypotheses

209

Chapter Five

221

5.0

Discussion of results

221

5.1

Link between performance and strategy

221

5.2

Analysis of primary data responses

221

5.3

The problem of strategy in selected companies

230

5.4

Implications of strategy to business development

232

Chapter Six
6.0
Summary of findings, conclusions and recommendations

234
234

6.1

Summary of findings and conclusions

234

6.2

Recommendations

237

References

239
6

CHAPTER 1
1.1

BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM

Measuring performance has been part and parcel of any successful

business entity. It is strategic because the long run survival of any
organization

depends

on

its

performance.

Managements

performance

measurement

to

evaluate

overall

the

health

use
of

organization.

However, in measuring performance, there is no doubt that companies

still face the following problems of; what variables to be considered?
What methodology to be used to evaluate the stability of these
variables? How to generate values for these variables? and many more.

Many performance rating agencies in attempts to provide answers to

the above problems have adopted various approaches and strategies.
Business Week (2002), in measuring performance of 500 Best
Companies globally considered variables like total return (1yr), total
return (3yrs), sales growth (1yr), sales growth (3yrs), net margin and
return on equity.

Fortune Magazine (2000) in its attempt to measure performance of 50

Best Companies Globally considered variables like innovativeness,
quality of management, employee talent, financial soundness, use of
corporate assets, long-term investment value and quality of product(s).
Nigerian stock Exchange (2003), in an attempt to measure performance
of Best 20 Quoted Companies in Nigeria focused attention on the
financial ratios/performance of performance.

Notwithstanding all these attempts, there is still need to investigate

firms performance vis--vis business strategy for better understanding
of the relationship.

1.2

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There is no doubt that there is a link between firm performance and
business strategy. But the problem of identifying the right variables to
establish this relationship still exists. Previous attempts to measure firm
performance have ignored the extent of the impact of some very
important variables like production effectiveness, efficiency, client and
employee satisfaction, research and development and corporate social
responsibility.

The problems associated with the approaches used by previous

researchers are that they ignored distortions and manipulations that go
with the companies financial statements.

These distortions and

manipulations are clearly manifested in the financial scandal of Enron,

WorldCom and Parmalat.

Lawrence and Glueck (1987) observed that distortion could affect the
financial variables performance. They also noted that more recently the
earning per share has come under unfavorable scrutiny because earning
can be manipulated (by cutting out research and development, selling
off assets and liquidating inventory). Unfortunately, these manipulations
that have long-term impact on firms and their strategies are ignored.

Today, companies like Sears, Rockbuck, Dow Channel and Dayton

Hudson have adopted performance measurement of their business unit
based on total operation and awarding incentive pay based on
performance of competitors. Recently, more and more corporate
boardrooms are looking for other measures to reflect growth in
shareholders expectations and encourage strategic decision instead of
short term planning.

The need for the search for more variables especially qualitative
variables that impact on business strategy and performance has
informed this study. The study therefore used some selected companies
in KADUNA, Nigeria for this investigation. Also, the assessment of these
variables in measuring performance will assist business strategist in
making sure that safe and sound strategy is based on adequate
understanding of these variables.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of this study will include:
1.

To elucidate greater understanding on the measurement of firms

performance in business strategy implementation control

2.

To identify the key performance indicators and assess their

suitability in business strategy planning and implementation

3.

To evaluate the relative impact of each of these indicators

identified on the long run strategy of companies.

4.

To carry out a comparative analysis of both quantitative and

qualitative performance.
10

5.

To ascertain the extent of the relationship between performance

indicators and business strategy.

1.4

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. Are there relationships between firms performance and business
strategy?
2. Do financial ratios have any impact on business strategy?
3. Are there any problems in measuring firm performance?
4. Why do some firms consider only quantitative variables in measuring
performance?
5. Why do some firms consider only qualitative variables in measuring
performance?
6. Will combining both quantitative variables and qualitative variables
produce better result in measuring performance?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following hypotheses will guide this study.
1. Ho: There is no significant relationship between financial ratios and
business strategy.
H1: There is significant relationship between financial ratios and
business strategy.
2. H0: There is no significant relationship between firm production
effectiveness and business strategy.
H1: There is significant relationship between firm production
effectiveness and business strategy.

11

3. H0: There is no significant relationship between client/employee

satisfactions and business and business strategy.
H1: There is no significant relationship between Client/employee
satisfactions and business strategy.
4. H0: There is no significant relationship between research and
business strategy.
H1: There is significant relationship between research and business
strategy.
5. H0: There is no significant relationship between corporate social
responsibility and business strategy.
H1: There is significant relationship between corporate social
responsibility and business strategy.

1.6

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

As at now, there is no known study of firm performance vis--vis
business strategy in Kaduna. This study attempted to provide more
information in this area.
1. It will elicit better understanding of performance measurement in
business strategy implementation control
2. It will serve as a guide to business strategy planning
3. It will draw the attention of managements to the need to consider
some qualitative variable in measuring firm performance
4. It will also serve as a reference material to business policy makers
and future researchers in this area.

12

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The major limitations of the study are fund, data and time. Because of
these limitations the study was not able to cover all the firms in
KADUNA and its environs. Despite these limitations, due care was taken
not to sacrifice quality and in-depth of this study on the altar of time,
data and money.

1.8 DELIMITATION OF STUDY

This study as we have shown has attempted to measure firm
performance vis-a -vis business strategy in selected firms in KADUNA.

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Competitive advantage: The ability of an organization to add value

for it customers than its rivals, and thus attain a position of relative
advantage.
Core competency: Distinctive skill, normally related to a product,
service or technology, which can be used to create advantage.
Corporate strategy: The overall strategy for a diversified or multiproduct service organization.
Effectiveness: The ability of an organization to meet the demands and
expectation of its various stakeholders, those individuals or groups with
influence over the business.

13

Efficiency: The sound management of resources to maximize the returns

from them.
Visionary strategies: Strategies created by strong, visionary strategist.

E-V-R confluence: The effective matching of an organizations resources

(R) with the demands of its environment (E). A successful and sustained
match has to be managed and frequently requires change; successfully
achieving this depends on the organization culture and value (V)
Financial control: the term used to describe the form of control normally
found in a holding company structure.
Focus strategy: Concentration of one or a limited number of market
segments or niches.
Functional Strategies: The strategies for the various function carried out
by an organization, including marketing production, financial management
information management, research and development, human resource
management.
Stakeholder: Any individual or group capable of affecting the actions and
performance of an organization.
Strategy: The means by which organization achieve their objectives and
purpose. There can be strategy for each product and/or service and for the
organization as a whole.

14

Strategic business unit: A discrete grouping within an organization with

delegated responsibility for strategically managing a product, a service, or
a particular group of products or services.
Strategic capability: process skills used to add value and create
competitive advantage.
Strategic change: Charges which take place over time in the strategies
and objectives of the organization. Change can be gradual, emergent and
evolutionary or discontinuous, dramatic and revolutionary.
Strategic control: A style of corporate control whereby the organization
attempts to enjoy the benefits of delegation and decentralization with a
portfolio of activities which, while diverse, is interdependent and capable of
yielding synergies from co-operation.
Strategic Issues: current and forth coming developments inside and
outside the organization which will impact upon the ability of the
organization to pursue its mission and achieve its objectives
Strategic Leader: Generic term used to describe those managers who
are responsible for changes in the cooperate strategy
Strategic Life Cycle: The notion that strategies have finite lives, after
some period of time they will need improvement, change or replacement.
Strategic

Management:

The

process

by

which

an

organization

establishes its objectives, formulates actions (Strategies) designed to meet

15

these objectives in the desired time scale implements the action and
assesses progress and results.
Strategic Planning: The systematic and formal creation of strategies
capable of making a very significant contribution in large, multi activity
organizations.
Stretching Resources: The creative use of resources, to add value for
customers, through innovation and improved productivity.
SWOT Analysis: An analysis of an organizations strengths and weakness
as along side the opportunities and threats present in the external
environment.
Synergy: The term used for the added value of additional benefits which
ideally accrue from the linkage or fusion of two businesses, or from
increased co-operation between either different parts of the same
organization or between a company and its suppliers, distributors and
customers. Internal co-operation may represent linkages between either
different division or functions.
Tactics: This is the strategy that determines what major plans are to be
undertaken and allocates resources to them.

16

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0

DEFINING MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Management according to Koontz Harold and ODonnell Cyril (1972)
stated that since people began forming groups to accomplish goals, they
could not achieve as individuals, managing has been essential to insure
the coordination of individual efforts. Management have assumed
greater importance as societies and organized groups have increasingly
rely on group effort to achieve results and as many organized groups
has risen in importance. Stoner et al (1995) defined management as the
process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling the work of
organization members and of using all available organizational resources
to reach stated organizational goals. From their definition, it can be seen
that in defining management emphasis is laid on planning, organizing,
leading and controlling of a companys work force.

Sisk Henry (1973) in his view stated that the study or definition of
management as a process should be based on three parts: first, the
coordination of resources; second, the performance of managerial
functions as a means of achieving coordination and third, establishing
the purpose of the management process. They clarified this process as:

1.

Definition of management as coordination. The question therefore

becomes: how does the manager of an enterprise coordinate the

17

resources of the organization; namely men, material, money etc.

In

business enterprise most organized groups, a prime requirement is

money. There is seldom an organization without some measure of
capital, a requisite for fraternal, social and religious groups as well as for
business organizations. Material includes the physical properties of a
business such as production equipment. The people who are members
of the organization are the third element. These three elements form a
convenient mnemonic device, the three ms of management, money,
materials and men. Although, an over simplification, this device is an
aid in remembering the coordinative aspect of management.
2. The coordination of the resources of an organization is achieved by
means of the management functions of planning, organizing, directing
and controlling.
3. A definition of management as the coordination of resources through
the utilization of the functions of the management process is not
complete. Management is a

process; it is directed toward the

attainment of stated goals or objectives. Without an objective, there is

no goal to reach or no path to follow. The concept of goal as an
objective provides the purposive characteristics of management.
Based on the above explanation, Sisk (1973) therefore, defined
management as the coordination of all resources through the process of
planning, organizing, directing and controlling in order to attain stated
objectives.

18

2.1

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT DEFINED

Chandler (1962) made a comprehensive analysis of interrelationship
among environment, strategy, and organizational structure. He analyzed
the history of organizational change in 79 manufacturing firms in the
US. While doing so, Chandler defined strategy as: The determination of
the basic long-term goals and objectives of an enterprise and the
adoption of the courses of action and the allocation of resources
necessary for carrying out these goals.

Chandler refers to three

aspects:
Determination of basic long term goals and objectives,
Adoption of course of action to achieve these objectives, and
Allocation of resources necessary for adopting the course of
action.

Andrews (1965) defines strategy as: The pattern of objective, purpose,

goals and the major policies and plans for achieving these goals stated
in such a way so as to define what business the company is in or is to
be and the kind of company it is or is to be: This definition refers to the
business definition, which is a way of stating the current and desired
future position of company, and the objectives, purpose, goals, major
policies and plans required to take the company from where it is to
where it wants to be.

Ansoff (1965) explains the concept of strategic management as: the

common thread among organizations activities and product-market that

19

defines the essential nature of business that the organization was or

planned to be in future.

Ansoff (1965) stressed the commonality of approach that exists in

diverse organizational activities including the products and markets that
defines the current and planned nature of business.

Glueck (1980), defined strategy precisely as: A unified, comprehensive

and integrated plan designed to assure that the basic objective of the
enterprise are achieved. The three adjectives that Glueck used to
define a plan made the definition quite adequate. Unified means that
the plan joins all the parts of an enterprise together; comprehensive
means it covers all the major aspects of the enterprise, and integrated
means that all parts of the plan are compatible with each other.

Mintzberg (1987) defines strategy as a pattern in a stream of decision

and actions Mintzberg distinguishes between intended strategies and
emergent strategies. An intended strategy refers to the plans that
managers develop, while emergent strategies are the actions that
actually take place over a period of time. In this manner, an
organization may start with a deliberate design of strategy and end up
with another form of strategy that is actually realized.

Porter (1980) made invaluable contribution to the development of the

concept of strategy. His ideas on competitive advantages, the five-force
model, generic strategies, and value chain are quite popular. He opines
20

that the core of general management is strategy, which he elaborates

as: developing and communicating the companys unique position,
making trade-offs, and forging fit among activities.

2.2

STRATEGIC MAMANGEMENT SCHOOLS

The subject of strategic management is in the modest of an
evolutionary process. In the course of its development, several strands
of thinking are emerging which gradually lead to convergence of views.
Selznick (1975), Andrew (1965) and Kazmi (2002) explain these schools
of thoughts as follow:
1.

THE DESIGN SCHOOL: This school which perceives strategy

formation as a process of conceptions developed mainly in the late
1950s and 60s. Under this school, strategy is seen as something
unique, which is in the form of a planned perspective. The Chief
Executive Officer as the main architect guides the process of
strategy formation. The process of strategy formation is simple
and informal and based on judgment and thinking.

2.

THE PLANNING SCHOOL: This school which developed in the

1960s sees strategy formation as a formal process. Under this
school, strategy is seen as a plan divided into sub-strategies and
programmes. The planners play the lead role in strategy
formation. The process of strategy formation is formal and
deliberated. Another major contributor to this school is Ansoft
(1965).

21

3.

THE POSITIONING SCHOOL: This school perceives strategy

formation as an analytical process, and developed mainly in the
1970s and 80s. Under this school, strategy is seen as a set of
planned genuine positions chosen by a firm on the basis of an
analysis of the competition and the industry in which they operate.
The analysts play the lead role in strategy formation. The process
of strategy formation is analytical, systematic and deliberate. The
major contributors to the positioning school are Hatten (1970s),
and Porter (1980s).

4.

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SCHOOL: This school sees strategy

formation as a visionary process developed mainly in the 1950s.
Under this school, strategy is seen as the outcome of a personal
and unique perspective often aimed at the creation of a niche. The
lead

role

in

strategy

formation

is

played

by

the

entrepreneur/leader. The process of strategy formation is intuitive,

visionary and largely deliberate. The major contributors to this
school are Schumpeter (1950s), Cole (1959) and several others,
most of whom are economists.

5.

THE COGNITIVE SCHOOL: Cognitive school which perceives

strategy formation as a mental process, developed mainly in the
1940s and 50s. Under this school, strategy is seen as an individual
concept that is the outcome of a mental perspective. The process
of strategy formation is mental and emergent. The major

22

contributors to the cognitive school are Simon (1947 and 1957)

and Tharda and Simon (1958).

6.

THE LEARNING SCHOOL: This school perceives strategy

formation as an emergent process has had a legacy from the
1950s through the 1970s. Under this school, strategy is seen as a
pattern that is unique. The learner within the organization
whoever that it might be plays the lead role. The process of
strategy formation is emergent, informal and messy.

The lead

contributors to the school are Lindblom (1959, 1960), Cyert and

March (1963).

7.

THE POWER SCHOOL: Power school of thought which sees

strategy formation as a negotiation process, developed mainly
during the 1970s and 80s. Under this school, strategy is seen as a
political and cooperative process or pattern. The lead role in
strategy formation is played by any person in power (at the micro
level) and the whole organization (at the macro level). The
process of strategy formation is messy, consisting of conflict,
aggression and cooperation. At the micro level, the process of
strategy formation is emergent while at the macro level, it is
deliberate. Major contributors to the school are Allison (1971) and
Ashley (1984)

8.

THE CULTURAL SCHOOL: Cultural school, which developed in

the 1960s, sees strategy formation as a collective process
23

developed mainly in the 1960s. Under this school, strategy is seen

as a unique and collective perspective. The lead role in strategy
formation is played by the collectivity displayed within the
organization. The process of strategy formation is ideological
constrained, collective and deliberate. The major contributors to
the cultural school are Rhenman and Norman (late 1960s).

9.

THE ENVIRONMENT SCHOOL: This school perceives strategy

formation as a reactive process, developed mainly in the late
1960s and 70s. Under this school, strategies occupy a specific
position or niche in relation to the environment as an entity. The
lead is passive and imposed and hence, emergent.

The major contributors to the school are Hannan and Freeman

(1977) and contingency theorists like Pugh et al (late 1970s).

10.

THE CONFIGURATION SCHOOL: This school of thought which

perceives

strategy

formation

as

transformation

process

developed during the 1960s and 1970s. Under this school,

strategy is viewed in relation to a specific context and thus could
be in a form that corresponds to any process visualized under any
of the other nine schools. The process of strategy formation is
integrative, episodic and sequential. In addition, the process could
incorporate the elements pointed out under the other nine schools
of thought. The major contributors to the configuration school are
Chandler (1962), Mintzberg and Miller (late 1970).
24

2.3

STRATEGY MANAGEMENT DYNAMICS:

Chandan (2002) stated that there are three types of circumstances in
which the strategic tensions are to be made. These are:
a.

Strategy under certainty

b.

Strategy under risk

c.

Strategy under uncertainty

a. STRATEGY UNDER CERTAINTY: This is the simplest form of

decision-making. The condition of certainty exists when there is no
doubt about the factual basis of a particular decision, and its
outcome can be predicted accurately. There is just one state of
nature for each alternative course of action and there is complete
and accurate knowledge about the outcome of each strategic
alternative.

b. STRATEGIC DECISION UNDER RISK: A condition of risk exists

when a strategic decision must be made on the basis of incomplete
but reliable information. Here, there is no longer just one outcome
for each strategy but a number of possible outcomes where the
probability of each outcome is known, calculated or assigned and an
expected value for each alternative or strategy is obtained. The
strategy that yields the best expected value is selected as a decision.
The decision problem is put in the form of a matrix. A matrix is
simply a two-dimensional arrays of figures arranged in rows and
columns. The rows represent the variable to the decision maker (one
row for each strategy) and the columns represent the states of
25

nature (one column for each state of nature). The matrix could be in
form of a pay-off matrix or in the form of an opportunity cost matrix.
In the case of the pay-off of each row and column represents the
pay-off or profit for a given strategy and its corresponding state of
nature. Each state of nature is assigned a probability, which identifies
the odds that such a state of nature would prevail. Typically, in many
organizational problems, the probabilities of various states of nature
are known by virtue of determining how frequently they occurred in
the past.
c. STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING UNDER UNCERTAINTY
The conditions of uncertainty make the decision making process
much more complicated. The decision maker or strategist has no idea
or knowledge about the probabilities of various states of nature and
hence the expected values of various alternatives cannot be
calculated. Such problems arise wherever there is no basis in the past
experience for estimating such probabilities. For example, in the case
of marketing a new product, it is difficult to make judgments as to
how much this product will sell in different geographical areas or
about probabilities of these predetermined quantities in these areas
in order to make profit.

In such situations, there is no single best criterion for selecting a

strategy. However, there are a number of criteria, each justified by
rationale and is a function primarily of the organization strategist. The
selection of a strategy would depend upon the criteria to be used. These
criteria are:
26

a.

PESSIMISM CRITERION: This criterion according to Chandan

(2002) was suggested by Abraham Wald, it is also known as Wald

Criterion or maximize the minimum pay-off. This is a conservative
approach to an intrinsically difficult situation, and the strategist assumes
that whatever alternative is chosen, the worst will happen. For each
pay-off of each course of action, under each state of nature (the
probabilities of states of nature are not known), the strategist picks the
worst pay-off, so that there will be a value of the worst pay-off for each
course of action and the decision maker will pick the highest value
among these.

b.

CRITERION OF OPTIMISM: This criterion is based upon maxi-

max principle, which maximizes the maximum pay-off for each strategic
alternative. The strategist assumes that for each course of action, the
best state of nature will prevail, giving him the best of each strategy so
that he can choose the best of these best.

However, a rational strategist cannot always be totally optimist under all

situations. To overcome this difficulty, Hurwiez ( ) introduced the idea of
degree of optimism or coefficient of optimism, the value of which is
determined by the attitude of the strategist. He called this coefficient an
Alpha (&), and it is measured on 0 to 1 scale. Its value is 1 for a
complete optimist and 0 for a complete pessimist. For a strategist who is
neither a pessimist nor a optimist, the value of & will be between 0 and
1, depending upon the degree of optimism.
27

c.

CRITERION OF REGRET: This is also known as savage criterion

and it minimizes the maximum regret of not making the right strategy
and uses the opportunity cost matrix to make the decision. For each
course of action, there are costs involved in choosing the opportunity of
having a different course of action after states of nature have been
known. These costs are really regrets of not choosing the best course of
action. Out of the maximum regret for each course of action, we choose
the minimum regret and the corresponding course of action.
d.

LAPLACE STRATEGY: The Laplace strategy assumes that all

states of nature are equally likely to occur. This means that the
strategist does not have anyone outcome that is more likely to occur
than others. Hence, both are the case of pay-off matrix as well as
opportunity cost matrix, all states of nature have the same probability of
occurrence.
e.

DECISION UNDER CONFLICT: These decisions under conflict

forms basis of games theory. The games with complete conflict of

interest are known as zero sum games, in which the gain of the decision
maker equals the loss of the opponent for example, if the Marketing
Manager of a company wants to increase the market share of his
product, it will be at the expense of the market share of his competitors.
2.4

COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
Competitive strategy is the means by which organizations seek to
achieve and sustain competitive advantage.
Porter (1980) in analyzing competitive strategy introduced three broad
frameworks. These are competitive strategy in fragmented industries,
28

competitive strategy in emerging industries and competitive strategy in

declining industries.

Competitive strategy in fragmented industries: According to

Porter, this is a situation where no firm in this industry has a significant
market share and can strongly influence the market outcome. Usually
fragmented industries are populated by a large number of smallmedium sized companies many of whom are privately owned. In
Kaduna, we have a lot fragmented firms. Thus, in our study, gathering
data from these firms proved very difficult. However, there is no single
praise quantitative definition of fragmented industries, and such a
definition is probably unnecessary for purposed of discussing the
strategic issues in this important environment. The essential notion that
makes these industries a unique environment in which to compete is the
absence of market leaders with the power to shape industry event.
Porter (1980) went further to say that fragmented industries are found
in many areas of any economy, whether in United States or some other
countries, and they are common in areas such as the following.

Services

Retailing

Distribution

Agricultural products

Creative businesses

Some fragmented industries, such as bread making in Kaduna and

television program syndication, are characterized by products or services
29

that are differentiated, whereas others, such as oil tanker shipping,

electronic

component

distribution,

fabricated

aluminum products,

involve essentially indifference products. Fragmented industries also

vary greatly in their technological sophistication, ranging from high
technology business to garbage collection and higher retailing.

Porter (1980) explained the followings as the reasons for industry

fragmentation:
(i) Nearly all fragmented industries have low overall entry barrier.
(ii) Most fragmented industries are characterized by the absence of
significant economies of scale or learning curves in any major aspect of the
business, be it manufacturing, marketing, distribution, or research. Many
fragmented industries have manufacturing processes characterized by few.
If any economies of scale or experience cost declines, because the process
is a simple fabrication or assembly operation, straight forward warehousing
operation, and an inherently high labour content.

iii. High haulage costs: This is another reason why industries are
fragmented. High transportation costs limit the size of an efficient plant or
production

location

despite

the

presence

of

economic

of

scale.

Transportation costs balanced against economies of scale, determine the

radius a plant can economically service. Transportation costs are high in
some companies like iron and steel. They are effectively high in many
service industries because the service is produced at the customers
premises or the customer must come to where the service is produced.

30

Iv. Diseconomies of scale: In a situation where frequent new product

introductions and style changes are essential to competition, allowing only
short lead times, a large firm may be less efficient than a smaller one
which seems to be true in womens wear in which style plays a major role
in competition.
v. Exit barriers: Fragmented industries exist where there are exit barriers.
Many firms, especially marginal firms, will tend to stay in the industry and
thereby hold back consolidation. Aside from economic exit barriers,
managerial exit barriers appear to be common in fragmented industries.
There may be competitors with goals that are not necessarily profit
oriented. Certain businesses may have a romantic appeal that attracts
competitors who wants to be in the industry despite low or even nonexistent profitability. These factors seem to be common in such industries
as farming and dress making in Kaduna.

Diverse market needs: In some industries, buyers tastes are fragmented,

with different buyers each desiring special varieties of a product and willing
to pay a premium for it, rather than accept a more standardized version.
Thus the demand for any particular product variety is small, and adequate
volume is not present to support productions distributions, marketing
strategies, that would yield advantages to a large firm. Sometimes
fragmented buyers taste stem from regional and local differences in market
needs. Every local fire department wants its own customized fire, engine
with many expensive bells etc.

31

High product differentiation: If product differentiation is very high and

based on image, it can place limits on a firms size and provide and
umbrella that allows inefficient firm to survive, large size may be
inconsistent with an image of exclusivity or with the buyers desire to have
brand of all his or her own. Closely related to this situation is one in which
key suppliers to the industry value exclusivity or a particular image in the
channel for their products or services.

Local laws: Local laws and tax system in Kaduna have forced some firms to
comply with standards that are unique to the local political scene, leading
to major source of fragmentation in some industry, even where the other
conditions do not hold. Local legislations have probably been a contributing
factor to fragmentation in industries.

2.5

WAYS TO OVERCOME FRAGMENTATION

Overcoming fragmentation is predicted on changes that unlock, the
fundamental economic factors leading to the fragmented structures.
These approaches include:

1.

Creating Economies of Scale:

Economies of scale are a means of overcoming industries fragmentation.

Technological changes leads to economics of scale, thus resulting to
industry consolidation. Economies of scale created in one part of the
business can sometimes outweigh diseconomies in another. Innovation
that creates economies of scale in marketing can also lead to industry
consolidation.
32

A Split of Factor: Sometimes, the causes of industry fragmentation are

centered in one or two areas, such as diseconomies of scale in
production or fragmented buyer taste. One strategy for overcoming
fragmentation is to somehow separate those aspects from the rest of
the business. According to Porter (1980) when the causes of
fragmentation center on the production or service delivery process,
overcoming fragmentation requires decoupling production from the rest
of the business. If buyer segments are numerous or where products
differentiation leads to preferences for exclusivity, it may be possible
through the use of multiple, scrupulously disassociated brand names,
styles, and packaging to overcome the constraints placed on market
share. However, the basic approach to overcoming fragmentation
recognizes that the root cause of the fragmentation cannot be solved.
Rather, the strategy is to neutralize the parts of the business subject to
fragmentation to allow advantages to share in other aspects to come
into play.

Early Recognition of Industry Trend: Early recognition of industry

trend can be used to solve the problem of fragmentation. Something

industries consolidate naturally as they mature, particularly if the
primary source of fragmentation was the newness of the industry or
outside industry trends. Industry trends can lead to consolidation by
altering the causes of fragmentation.

33

In some industry, the threat

of

substitute products triggered

consolidation by shifting buyers needs, and thereby stimulating changes

in services that are increasingly subject to economies of scale. In other
industries, changes in buyers taste, changes in the structure of
distributions channels, and innumerable industry trends may operate,
directly or indirectly, on the causes of fragmentation.

Government or regulatory changes: This can force consolidation by

raising standards in the products manufacturing process beyond the
reach of small firms through the creation of economies of scale.
Recognizing the ultimate effects of such trends, and positioning the
company to take advantage of them, can be an important way of
overcoming fragmentation.

Porter (1980) further stated that industry can be fragmented not only
because of fundamental economic reasons, but because they are stuck
in a fragmented state. According to Porter industries become stuck due
to the following reasons:

Existing Firms Lack Resources: Sometimes the steps required to

overcome fragmentation are evident, but existing firms lack the
resources to make the necessary strategic investments. For example,
there may be potential economies of scale in production, but firms lack
the capital or expertise to construct large-scale facilities or to make
required investments in vertical integration. Firm may also lack the
resources or skills to develop in house distribution channels, in house
34

service organization, specialized logistical facilities, or consumer brand

franchise that would promote industry consolidation.

Existing Firms Are Far Sighted: Even though firms have the resources to
promote industry consolidation, they may be emotionally tied to
traditional industry practices that support the fragmented structure or
unable to perceive opportunities for change. This fact possibly combined
with

the

lack

fragmentation

of
in

resources,
many

may

countries,

partly explain
and

industries.

the historical
In

many

countries/industries producers had long been productions oriented and

had made apparently little effort to develop national distributions or
consumer brand recognition.

Lack of Attention by Outside Firms: this could lead to industry

fragmentation. If outsiders do not perceive the opportunity to infuse
resources and a fresh fund into the industry to promote consolidation, it
can lead to fragmentation. Some industries that escape attention tend
to be those of the beaten track or those lacking glamour. They may also
be too new or too small to be of interest to major established firms,
which have the resources to overcome fragmentation. If a firm can spot
an industry in which the fragmented structure does not reflect the
underlying economics of competition, it can provide a most significant
strategic opportunity. A company can enter such an industry cheaply
because of its initial structure
Government Policy: In Nigeria, government policy of increasing
shareholders fund has lead to forced consolidation of Nigeria banking
35

industry. This forced government policy has resulted to reduction in

industry fragmentation

2.6

STRATEGY FORMULATION IN FRAGMENTED INDUSTRIES

Porter (1980) proposed five steps in formulating strategy in fragmented
industries. He stated that:
Step one is to conduct a full industry and competitor analysis to identify
the source of the competitive forces in the industry, the structure within
the industry, and the positions of the significant competitors.
Step two is to identify the causes of fragmentation in the industry. It is
essential that the list of causes be complete and that their relationship
to the economic of the industry be established.
Step three is to examine the causes of industry fragmentation one by
one in the context of the industry and competitor analysis in step one.
Can any of these sources of fragmentation be overcome through
innovation or strategic change? Will any of the sources of fragmentation
be altered directly or indirectly by industry trends?
Step four depends on a positive answer to one f the preceding
questions.

If fragmentation can be overcome, the firm must assess

attractive returns. To answer this question the firm must predict the
new structural equilibrium in the industry once consolidation occurs and
must then reapply structural analysis. If the consolidated industry does
promise attractive returns, the final question is, What is the best,

36

defendable position for the firm to adopt to take advantage of industry

consolidation?
Step five. This involves the selection of the best alternative for coping
with the fragmented structure. This step will involve a consideration of
the broad alternatives as well as others that may be appropriate to the
particular industry, in light of the particular resources and skills of the
firm. Besides providing a series of analytical processes to go through
periodically, these steps also direct attention to the key pieces of data in
analyzing fragmented industries and in competing in them. The causes
of fragmentation, predictions about the effects of innovation on these
causes, and identification of industry trends that might alter the causes
of fragmentation become essential requirements for environmental
scanning and technological forecasting.

2.7

COMPETITIVE STRATEGY IN DECLINING INDUSTRIES

Porter (1980) stated that for purposes of strategic analysis, declining
industries are treated as industries that have experienced an absolute
decline in unit sales over a sustained period. Decline cannot be ascribed
to the business cycle or to other short-term discontinuities, such as
strikes or material shortages, but represents a true situation in which
end-game strategies must be developed.

There have always been

industries in decline, but the prevalence of this difficult structural

environment has probably increased with slower world economic
growth, product substitution resulting from rapid cost inflation, and
continued technological changes. The decline phase in the business lifecycle model is characterized by shrinking margins, pruning product lines,
37

falling R & D and advertising, and a dividing number of competitors.

The accepted strategic prescription for decline is a harvest strategy,
that is, eliminating investment and generating maximum cash flow from
the business, followed by eventual divestment.

In-depth study of a wide spectrum of declining industries, suggests that

the nature of competition during decline as well as the strategic
alternatives available to firms for coping with decline are a great deal
more complex.

Industries differ markedly in the decline, some

industries age gracefully, whereas others are characterized by better

warfare, prolonged excess capacity, and heavy operating costs.
Successful strategies vary just as widely some firms have reaped high
returns from strategies actually involving heavy reinvestment in a
declining industry that make subsequently borne by their competitors by
existing before the decline was generally recognized, and not harvesting
at all.

Determinants of Industry Decline

Porter (1980) explains various causes of industry decline. They include:
a. Technological substitution: One source of decline is substitute
products created through technological innovation or made prominent
by shifts in relative costs. This source can be threatening to industry
profits because profits, and also leads to fall in sales volume. This
negative effect on profits can be mitigated if there are pockets of
demand in the industry that are resistant to the substitute and have
favourable characteristics.
38

b. Demographics: Another source of decline is shrinkage in the size of

the customer group that purchases the product. In industrial business,
demographics cause decline by reducing demand in downstream
industries. The competitive pressure of a substitute product does not
accompany demography as a source of decline. That is if capacity can
leave the industry affected by demographics in an orderly way, surviving
firms may have profits prospects comparable to those before
destabilizing competition in decline.

c. Shifts in Needs: Demand can fall because of sociological or other

reasons which change buyer needs. Like demographics, shifts in needs
do not necessarily lead to increased pressure of substitutes for
remaining sales. However, shifts in needs can also be subject to great
uncertainties, which have led many firms to continue to forecast a
resurgence of demand. This situation is very threatening to profitability
in decline. The cause of decline gives clues about the probable degree
of uncertainty firms perceive about future demand as well as some
indications about the profitability of serving the remaining segments e.g.
Industries like the textile in Nigeria.

Exit Barriers
Crucial to competition in declining industries is the manner in which
capacity leaves the market. When there exist barriers in exit, the less
hospitable the industry will be to the firms that remain during decline.

39

Causes of exit barriers

If the assets of a business, either fixed or working capital or both, are
lightly specialized to the particular business, company or location in
which they are being used, this creates exit barriers by diminishing the
liquidation value of the firms investment in the business. For example,
Nigeria textile industry due to high level of competition from cheap
textile materials from China cannot change business because of large
quantity of fixed assets, thus making it very difficult to be sold.
Secondly, the number, of buyers wishing to use the assets in the same
business is usually few, because the same reasons that make the firm
want to sell its assets in a declining market will probably discourage
potential buyers.

Also, if the liquidation value of the assets of a business is low, it is

economically optimal for the firm to remain in the business even if the
expected discounted future cash flows are low. If the assets are
durable, the book value may greatly exceed the liquidation value. Thus
it is possible for firms like the textile industry in Nigeria to earn a book
loss but it will be economically appropriate to remain in the business
because the discounted cash flows exceeded the opportunity cost of
capital on the investment that could be realized if the business were
divested.

Fixed cost of exit

Often substantial fixed costs of exiting elevate exit barriers by reducing
the effective liquidation value of a business. A firm often must face the
40

substantial costs of labour settlements; this factor has a huge impact on

Nigeria government efforts to privatize some of the ailing industries.
Similarly, Nigerian Labour congress (NLC), the umbrella organization for
Nigerian workers often hit against laying-off of staff without adequate
compensation. Management may need to be resettled and/or retrained.
Breaking long-term contracts to purchase inputs or sell products may
involve substantial cancellation penalties, if they can be abrogated at all.
In many cases the firm must pay the cost of having another firm fulfill
such contracts.

There are often also hidden costs of exit. Once the decision to divest
becomes known; employee productivity declines and financial results
loose deteriorate. Customers quickly pull out their business, and
suppliers lose interest in meeting promises.

Porter (1980) continued by saying that sometimes exit can allow the
firm to avoid fixed investments it would otherwise have had to make for
example, requirements to invest in order to comply with environmental
regulation may be avoided, as may other requirement to reinvest capital
just to stay in the industry. Requirements to make such investment
promote exit, unless making them yields an equivalent or greater
increase in the discounted liquidation value of the firm, because they
raise investment in the business without raising profits.

41

Strategic Exit Barriers

Porter (1980) stated that even if a diversified firm faces no exit barriers
from economic consideration relating solely to the particular business, it
may still face barriers because the business is important to the company
from an overall strategic point of view. He thus explained this situation
as:

a. Interrelatedness: The business may be part of a total strategy

involving a group of businesses, and leaving it would diminish the
impact of the strategy. The business may be central to the corporations
identity.

Exiting may hurt the companys relationships with key distribution

channels or may lower overall clout in purchasing.

For example in

Nigeria, if Nigerian Brewery should stop producing star larger beer, for
poor performance of the product in the market, it is going to affect the
overall image of the company. Exit may render shared facilities or other
assets idle, depending on whether or not they have alternative uses by
firm or can be rented in the open market. A firm terminating a sole
supply relationship with a customer may not only fore close sales of
other products to that customer but also hurt its chances in other
businesses on which it relied to supply key raw materials.

b. Access to financial markets: Exiting may reduce the confidence of the

capital markets in the firm or worsen the firms ability to attract
acquisition candidates (or buyers). If the diverted business is large
42

relative to the total, its divestment may strongly reduce the financial
credibility of the firm. Even though a write-off is justified economically
from the point of view of the business itself, it may negatively affect
earnings growth or otherwise act to raise the cost of capital. Small
losses over a period of years through operating the business may be
preferable to a single large loss from this standpoint. The size of writeoffs will obviously depend on how depreciated the assets in the business
are relative to their liquidation value, as well as the ability of the firm to
divest the business incrementally as opposed to having to make a once
and for all decision.

The more related a business is to others in the company, particularly in

terms of sharing assets or having a buyer-seller relationship, the more
difficult it can be to develop clear information about the true
performance

of

the

business.

Businesses

performing

poorly

consequently fail even to consider economically justified exit decisions.

2.8

STRATEGIC OPTIONS IN DECLINING INDUSTRY

Porter

(1980)

strategy

during

decline

usually

revolves

around

disinvestments or harvest, however, there is but a range of strategic

alternatives although not all are necessarily feasible in any particular
industry. The range of strategies can be conveniently expressed in
terms of four basic approaches to competing in decline, which the firm
can pursue individually. These alternative declining strategies are.

43

1.

Leadership:

The leadership

strategy

is

directed

at

taking

advantage of a declining industry whose structure is such that the

remaining firms are above average profitability and leadership is
feasible vis a vis competitors.
remaining in the industry.

The firm aims at being firms

Once this position is attained the firm

switches to a holding position or controlled harvest strategy, depending

on the subsequent pattern of industry sales. The premise underlying this
strategy is that by achieving leadership the firm is in a superior position
to hold position or harvest than it would be otherwise.

Tactical steps that can contribute to executing the leadership strategy

are the following:
a. Investing in aggressive competitive actions in pricing, marketing or
other areas designed to build market share and ensure rapid retirement
of capacity from the purchasing market share by acquiring competitors
or competitors product lines at prices above their opportunities for sale;
this has the effect of reducing competitors exit.
b. Purchasing and retiring competitors capacity, which again lowers exit
barriers for competitors and insures that their capacity is not sold within
the industry; a leading firm in the mechanical sensor industry repeatedly
offers to buy the assets of its weakest competitors for this reason.

2.

Niche: The reason of this strategy is to identify a segment (or

demand pocket) of the declining industry that will not only maintain
stable demand or decay slowly but also has structural characteristics
allowing high returns. The firm then invests in building its position in
44

this segment. It may find it desirable to take some of the actions listed
under the leadership strategy in order to reduce competitors exit
barriers or reduce uncertainty concerning this segment. Ultimately the
firm may either switch to a harvest or divest strategy.
3. Harvest: In the harvest strategy, the firm seeks to optimize cash flow
from the business. It does this by eliminating or severely curtailing new
investment, cutting maintenance of facilities, and taking advantage of
whatever residual strengths the business has in order to raise prices or
reap benefits of past goodwill in continued sales, even though
advertising and research have been curtailed. Other common harvest
tactics include the following:
*

Reducing the number of models.

shrinking the number of channels employed;

Eliminating small customers;

Eroding service in terms of delivery time (inventory), speed of

repair, or sale assistance.

The harvest strategy presupposes some genuine past strengths on

which the firm can live, as well as an industry environment in the
decline phase that does not degenerate into bitter warfare.

Without

some strengths, the firms price increases, reduction in quality, cessation

of advertising, or other tactics, will be met with severely reduced sales.
If the industry structure leads to great volatility during the decline
phase, competitors will seize on the firms lack of investment to grab
market share or bid down prices, thereby eliminating the advantages to
the firm of lowering expenses through harvesting. Also, some
45

businesses are hard to harvest because there are few options for
incremental expense reduction; an extreme example is one in which the
plant will quickly fail to operate if not maintained.
4. Quick divestment: This strategy rests on the premise that the firm
can maximize its net investment recovery from the business by selling it
early in decline, rather than by harvesting and selling it later or by
following one of the other strategies. Selling the business early usually
maximizes the value the firm can realize from the sale of the business,
because the earlier the business is sold, the greater is the uncertainty
about whether demand will indeed subsequently decline and the more
likely other markets for the assets, like foreign countries, are not
glutted.

In some situations it may be desirable to divest the business before

decline, or in the maturity phase. Once decline is clear, buyers for the
assets inside and outside the industry will be in a stronger bargaining
position. On the other hand, selling early also entails the risk that the
firms forecast of the future will prove incorrect.

Divesting quickly may force the firm to confront exit barriers like image
and interrelationships, although being early usually mitigates these
factors to some extent. The firm can use a private label strategy or sell
product lines to competitors to help ease some of these problems.

46

2.9

COMPETITION IN GLOBAL INDUSTRIES

Porter (1980) described global industry as one in which the strategic
positions of competitor in major geographic or national markets are
fundamentally affected by their overall global positions. To analyze
competition in global industries, it is necessary to examine industry
economics and competitors in the various geographic or national
markets jointly rather than individually.

Global industries require a firm to compete on a work divide, and

coordinated basis or face strategic disadvantages. Some industries that
are international in the sense of being populated by multinational
companies do not have the essential characteristics of a global industry.
Except

to a limited

extent

in product

development, however,

subsidiaries are autonomous and the competitive balance is strictly on a

country-by-country basis. A firm need not compete internationally to be
successful
Industries with multinational competitors are not necessarily global
industries. It must be recognized, though, that globalness is inevitably
a matter of degree, since the extent of the strategic advantages that
accrue to firms that compete internationally can very a great deal from
industry to industry.
An increasing number of industries have become or are becoming global
industries since 1970s, and this important structural setting is likely to
become even more prevalent.

By any measure, trade and foreign

investment have risen significantly, and the shifts in strategic position

47

that have accompanied industry evolution to global status are both

dramatic and rapid. Televisions, motorcycles, sewing machines, and
automobiles are some particularly visible, though not typical examples
of global products.

Managers in nearly every industry must consider

global competition a possibility if not a reality.

There are many differences in competing internationally versus
nationally, and these are usually emphasized in developing international
competitive strategy.
- Factor cost differences among countries.
- Differing circumstances in foreign market
- Different roles of foreign governments,
- Differences in goals, resources, and ability to monitor foreign
competitors.

However, the structural factors and market forces operating in global

industries are the same as those in more domestic industries. Industries
must encompass foreign competitors, a wider pool of potential entrants,
a broader scope of possible substitutes, and increased possibilities that
firms goals and personalities will differ as well as their perceptions of
what is strategically important. Most successful global strategies have
been based on recognition of these market forces, in somewhat
different (and more complex) context.

2.10 IMPEDIMENTS TO GLOBAL COMPETITION:

Firms can participate in international activities through three basic
mechanisms: licensing, export, and foreign direct investment. Usually a
48

firms first foray overseas involves export or licensing, and only after it
has gained some international experience will it consider foreign direct
investment. Export or foreign direct investment will be present in
industries where competition is truly global. Major flows of exports
among many countries are a reliable sign of global competition, but
major direct foreign investment in an industry may not be.

Their

investments can consists of essentially independent subsidiaries in

foreign countries, with each subsidiarys competitive position depending
essentially on its assets and particular circumstances in its host country.

Fundamentally, an industry becomes a global industry because there are

economic and other advantages accruing to a firm competing, in a
coordinated way, in many national markets. There are a number of
distinct sources of such global strategic advantage, as well as
impediments to achieving them.

2.11 SOURCES OF GLOBAL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

The sources of global advantage stem broadly from four sources:
conventional comparative advantage, economic of scale or learning
curves extending beyond the scale or cumulative volume achievable in
individual national markets, advantages from product differentiation,
and the public good character or market information and technology.
The existence of comparative advantage is a classic determinant of
global competition. When a country or countries have significant
advantages in factor cost or factor quality used in producing a product,
these countries will be the sites of production and exports will flow to
49

other parts of the world.

To the global firms in those countries

possessing a comparative advantage is crucial to its world position.

Production economies of scale: If there are economies of scale in

production (or providing service) that extend beyond the size of major
national markets the firm can potentially achieve a cost advantage
through centralized production and global competition. Advantages of
vertical integration are the key to achieving global production economic
because the efficient scale of the vertically integrated system is greater
than the size of national markets. Achieving production economies
necessarily implies movement of exports among countries.

Global experience in technologies subject to significant cost declines due

to proprietary experience. The ability to sell similar product varieties in
many national markets can bring benefits.

Cumulative volume per

model is greater if the model is sold in many national markets, leading

to a cost advantage for the global competitor. Global competition can
allow faster learning, even if the learning curve flattens at cumulative
volumes achievable eventually by competing in an individual geographic
market. Since a company can potentially gain experience by sharing
improvements among plants. A cost advantage from global competition
potentially can be gained even if production is not centralized but takes
place in each national market.

Logistical Economies of scales: If an international logistics system

inherently involves fixed costs that can be spread by supplying many
50

national markets, the global competitor has a potential cost advantage.

Global competition may also allow the achievement of economic of scale
in logistics that stem from the ability to use more specialized systems,
such as specialized cargo ships.
Economies of scale in purchasing: When there are opportunities to
achieve economies of scale in purchasing as a result of bargaining
power or lower suppliers cost in long runs production, which go beyond
what is needed to compete in individual national markets the global firm
will have a potential cost advantage of product differentiation. In some
business,

particularly

technologically

progressive

ones,

global

competition can give the firm an edge in reputation and credibility. In

the high-fashion cosmetics industry, for example, a firm significantly
benefits from a presence in Germany, Ghana and South Africa in order
to have the image to compete successfully in Japan.

Proprietary product technology: Global economies can result from

the ability to apply proprietary technology in several national markets.
This ability is particularly important when economies of scale in research
are large relative to the sales in individual national markets. Computers,
semi-conduction, aircraft, and turbines are industries in which ecological
advantages of global scale firms appear to be particularly great. Some
advances in technology are so costly as to virtually require global sales
to recoup them. Global competition can also give the firm a series of
taps into technological developments world divide which can improve its
technological competitiveness.

51

Mobility of production: An important special case of economies due

to scale and sharing of proprietary technology arise where the
production of a product or service is mobile.

For example in heavy

construction the firm moves its crew from country to country t build
projects; oil tankers can carry oil anywhere in the world; seismic crews,
oil rigs and consultants are also mobile in such industries, fixed costs of
creating and maintaining an organization and developing proprietary
technology can be readily spread over operations in many national
markets.

In addition, a firm can invest in skilled people or mobile equipment

whose employment would not be justified by the demand for the
product in any one national market hence another example of
economics of scale exceeding single market size. Often the sources of
global advantage occur in combination, and there can be interaction
among them. For example, production economics can provide the basis
for invasion of foreign markets, which then leads to logistical economics
or those from purchasing.

The significances of each source of global advantage clearly depend on

one of two things. First, how significant to total cost is the aspect of
business subject to global economies? Second, how significant to
competition is the aspect of the business in which the global competitor
has an edge? An advantage in an area that represents a fairly low
percentage of total cost (eg. Sales force) can still be extremely
important to competitive success or failure in some industries. In this
52

case, even a small improvement in cost or effectiveness brought about

by global competition can be significant. It is also important to note
that all the sources of advantage also imply the presence of mobility
barriers for global firms.
2.12 STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES IN GLOBAL INDUSTRIES:
There are a number of basic strategy alternatives in a global industry.
The most fundamental choice a firm must make is whether it must
compete globally or whether it can find niches where it can build a
defensible strategy for competing in one or a few national markets.

Broad line global competition: This strategy is directed at competing

globally in the full product line of the industry, taking advantage of the
sources of global competitive advantage to achieve differentiation or an
over all low cost position. Implementing this strategy requires
substantial resources and a long time horizon. To maximize competitive
advantage the emphasis in the firms relationships with governments is
to reduce impediments to competing globally.

Global focus:

This strategy targets a particular segment of the

industry in which the firm competes on a worldwide basis. A segment is

chosen where the impediments to global competition are low and the
firms position in the segment can be defended from incursion by broad
line global competitions.

The strategy yields either low costs or

differentiation in its segment.

53

National focus: This strategy takes advantages of national market

differences to create a focused approach to a particular national market
that allows the firms to out compete global firms. This variation of the
focus strategy aims at either differentiation or low cost in serving the
particular needs of a national market, or its segments subjects to
economic impediments to global competition.
Protected

Niche:

This

strategy

identifies

countries

where

governmental restraints exclude global competitors by requiring a high

proportion of local content in the product, high tariffs, and so on. The
firm builds its strategy to deal effectively with the particular national
markets with such restrictions, and places extreme attention on the host
government in order to insure that protection remains in force.
In some global industries, strategies of national focus or seeking a
protected niche are unavailable because there are no impediments to
global competition, while in other industries strategies are defendable
against global competitors.

An increasingly prevalent approach to

implementing the more ambitions strategies in global industries is

transnational coalitions, or cooperative agreements between firms in the
industry of different home countries. Coalitions allow competitors to
team up to surmount the difficulties of implementing a global strategy in
areas like technology, market access, and the like.

54

Trends of Global Competition

There are certain trends that hold great importance for competition in
existing global industries and for the creation of new ones. These trends
include the following:

1.

Reduction in differences among countries. A number of observers

have pointed out that the economic differences among developed
and newly developed countries may be narrowing in areas like
income, factor costs, energy costs, marketing practices, and
distribution channels. Part of this reduction may be due to the
aggressiveness

of

multinational

companies

in

spreading

techniques around the world. Whatever the cause, it works

towards reducing impediments to worlds competition.
2.

More Aggressive industrial policy. Industrial polices of many

countries are in flux. From passive or protective postures,
governments like Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and West Germany
are taking aggressive postures to stimulate industry in carefully
selected sectors. They are also facilitating the abandonment of
sectors deemed, less desirable. This new industrial policy is giving
firms in such countries the support to make bold moves that will
transform industries to global status, like the construction of
massive plants and large up-front investments in breaking into
new markets.

Thus, although firms in sectors not favoured by

their governments may drop out, those firms that remain in global
industries may well behave differently.
55

As the latter are

increasingly backed by governments aggressive stance, the

resources available for competition and the stakes involved have
increased. Non-economic objective made central by government
involvement come increasingly into play. There is the possibility
that international rivalry will escalate as a result of these factors
and that barriers to exit will also increase, which further increases
rivalry.
3.

National

recognition

and

protection

of

distinctive

assets

governments seen to be increasingly cognizant of which of their

resources are distinctive from the point of view of economic
competition, and they are increasingly prone to capture the
economic benefits from the possession of these assets. National
resources (e.g. oil copper, tin, rubber) are obvious example of
assets that have been controlled either directly by government
ownership or indirectly through joint ventures of governments and
producers.

The presence of abundant low-waged semi-skilled and unskilled labor

(Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Germany) is another asset explicitly
recognized in some countries.

The proactive exploitation of such

distinctive assets by government is a reflection of changing philosophy

toward industrial policy, as preciously discussed.

4.

Gradual emergence of new large-scale markets: The global market

where the United States, has long been the strategic market for
global competition because of its unique size, China, Russia, and
56

possibly India may ultimately emerge as huge markets in the

future. This possibility has a number of implications. First, if china
and Russia control access to their markets, their firms may
become major global powers. Second, gaining access to one or
both of these markets may well become a crucial strategic variable
in the future because of the scale it will provide to the successful
firm Strategy innovations, stimulating globalizations.
In the absence of environmental triggers, a firms strategic
innovation can begin the process of globalization.

5.

Product redefinition: if required product differences among

countries

lessen,

competition

may

other
be

potential

reaped.

advantages

Sometimes

from

national

global
product

differences erode nationally as the industry matures and products

become standardized; however, firms can redesign products to
make them acceptable in many markets, as Peugeot automobile
company and other firms are doing with the world car. In other
cases, a marketing innovation which redefines the image or
concept of the product is sometime instrumental in unlocking
possibilities for global competition.

6.

Identification of market segment: Even if there are required

product differences among countries, there may be segments of
the market that are common to many countries and that are being
poorly served in many of them. These segments required distinct
technology, facilities, and/or marketing approaches, which are
57

subject to global economies and unmatchable by domestic firms.

There may also be segments of the market less subject to
impediments to global competition.

Reduced costs

of Adaptations: The implements to global

competition posed by national product differences is eased if firms

can create ways of lowering the cost of altering basic products to
meet these local needs.

7.

Design Changes: Design changes leading to more standardized

components that are subject to global purchasing economies, or
those requiring new components subject to such economies, can
trigger shifts towards global competition.

8.

Disintegration of production:

In some industries government

constraints requiring local production can be circumvented by

assembling locally while producing some or all components
centrally. If economies of scale stem largely form one or more
key components their central production can strongly stimulate
globalization of competition. New entrants may also be able to
start fresh with new strategies unencumbered by having competed
in the industry in its pre-global era.

2.13 COMPETITIVE STRATEGY IN EMERGING INDUSTRIES:

Porter, (1980) described emerging industries as newly formed or reformed industries that have been created by technological innovations,
58

shifts in relative cost relationships, emergence of new consumer needs

or other socio-economic changes that elevate a new product or service
to the level of a potentially viable business opportunity. Emerging
industries are being created all the time; for instance, in Nigeria, the
emergence of private communication network has changed the face of
telecommunication in Nigeria. Before the emergence of private
telecommunication network, Nigeria had less one million-telephone line.
Today, Nigeria can boast of over 35 million telephone lines.

From a strategic standpoint, the problems of an emerging industry arise

when old business experiences a fundamental change in its competitive
rules coupled with growth in scale by orders of magnitude.

2.14 COMMON STRUTURAL FEATURES OF EMERGING INDUSTRIES

Technological Uncertainty: There is usually a great deal of
uncertainty about the technology in an emerging industry what
production configuration will ultimately prove to be the most efficient?.
These factors have been the worries of the players in Nigeria
communication industry. Today, it is new fiber optic, tomorrow is
network problem and so on.

i.

Strategic Uncertainty:

Related to the technological uncertainty but broader in cause, are a

wide variety of strategic approaches being tried by industry participants.
No right strategy has been clearly identified, and different companies
(MTN, Globalcom, Celtel) are groping with different approaches to
59

product, market positioning, marketing, services and so on, as well as

betting on different product configuration or production technologies.
Closely related to this problem is that firms often have poor information
about

competitors,

characteristics

of

customers,

and

industries

conditions in the emerging phase.

ii.

High Initial Cost:

Small production volume and newness usually combine to produce high

costs in the emerging industry relative to what industry can potentially
achieve. Even for technologies which the learning curve will soon level
off there is usually a very steep learning curve in that the initial high
costs are declining at very high proportionate rate. This is what
happened when mobile phone (GSM) was introduced in Nigeria, five
years ago. If the gains dues to learning are combined with increasing
opportunities to reap economics of scale as the industry grows, the cost
declines will be even more rapid.

iii.

Spin-offs Companies.

According to Porter (1980), the emerging phase of the industry is

usually accompanied by the presence of the greatest proportion of
newly formed companies that the industry will ever experience. The
phenomenon of spin-offs is related to a number of factors. First, in an
environment of rapid growth and perceived opportunity, the rewards of
equity participation may seem attractive when compared to a salary at
an established company. Second, because of a fluidity of technology and
strategy in the emerging phase, employees of established firms are
60

often in a good position to think up new and better ideas, taking

advantage of their proximity to the industry.

iv.

Short term Horizon:

In many emerging industries the pressure to develop customers or

produce products to meet demand is so great that bottlenecks and
problems are dealt with expediently rather than as a result of an
analysis of future conditions. At the same time, industry conventions are
often borne out of pure chance.

Confronted with the need to set a

pricing schedule, a firm might adopt a two-tiered price that the

marketing manager used in his previous firm and the other firms in the
industry initiate for lack of a ready alternative.

v.

First-time Buyer:

Buyers of the emerging industrys product or service are inherently firsttime buyers. The marketing task is thus one of inducing substitution or
getting the buyer to purchase the new product or service instead of
something else. The buyer must be informed about the basic nature and
functions of the new product. Right now, ethanol producers world over
are struggling to persuade motorist about the advantages of using
ethanol as substitute.
Problems Constraining Industry Development
Some factors affect development of emerging industry. These include
the following:

61

i. Inability to obtain raw material and component:

The development of an emerging industry requires that new suppliers
be established or existing suppliers expand output and/or modify raw
material and components to meet the industrys needs. In the process,
severe shortages of raw materials and components are very common in
emerging industries. For example, shortage of timber that is a strategic
factor in furniture industry will adversely affect the sector.

ii.

Absence of infrastructure:

Emerging industries are often faced with difficulties like those of

material supply caused by the lack of appropriate infrastructure:
distribution channels, service facilities and other complementary
products.

iii.

Erratic Product Quality:

This is another factor that affects emerging industries. With many newly
established firms, product quality is often erratic due to lack of
standards and technological uncertainty.

This erratic quality, even

though caused by only a few firms, can negatively affect the image and
credibility

of

the

entire

industry.

For

instance,

when

mobile

telecommunications was introduced in Nigeria, there was very serious

problem of network and call failure.

iv.

Likelihood of Obsolescence:

An emerging industrys growth will be impeded if buyers perceive that

second or third generations technologies will significantly make obsolete
62

currently available products. Buyers will wait instead for the pace of
technological progress and cost reduction to slow down.
v. Customers Confusion:
Emerging industries are often beset by customers confusion, which
results from the presence of a multiplicity of products approaches,
technological variations and conflicting claims and counter claims by
competitors. All these are symptomatic of technological uncertainty and
the resulting lack of standardization and general technical agreement by
industry participants. Such confusion can limit industry size by raising
the new buyers perceived risk of purchase. This customers confusion is
what is happening presently in the Nigerian telecommunication industry.
vi.

Regulatory Approval:

Emerging industries often face delays and red tape in gaining

recognition and approval by regulatory agencies if they offer new
approaches to needs currently served by other means, and subject to
regulation. For instance, the privatization policy of Nigeria government
and bureaucracy has a lot of impact on emerging industries.
Response of threatened industry to substitution
Emerging Industry

Unit costs

A . let technology
atrophy

Threatened Industry

b. Invest to lower
cost

Source: Porter (1980)

Time
63

Porter (1980) used the above diagram to illustrate response of

threatened Entities. He stated that some entities are almost always
threatened by the advent of an emerging industry. It may be the
industry producing a substitute product and preferring the certainty of
dealing with it and so on. The threatened entity can fight the emerging
industry in a number of ways. One is in the regulatory or political area;
another is at the collective bargaining table. In the case of an industry
threatened by substitution, its response can take the form of foregoing
profits by lowering prices or making R & D investments aimed at making
the threatened product or service more competitive.

The diagram

shows that the threatened industries invest to enhance quality and

lower costs. It is clear that the target at which learning and scale
related cost reductions in the must shoot is a moving one.

The propensity of the threatened industry to for go profits in pricing or

aggressively investing in cost reduction to hold volume will be direct
function of the exit barriers in the threatened industry. If they are high
because of specialized assets, high preceded strategic importance,
emotional ties, or other causes, then the emerging industry may well
face determined and desperate efforts by the threatened industry to
stern its growth.

2.15

STRATEGIC CHOICES IN EMERGING INDUSTRY

Formulation of strategy in emerging industries must cope with the
uncertainty and risk of this period of an industrys development. The
rules of the competitive game are largely undefined, the structure of the
64

industry unsettled and probably changing, and competitors hard to

diagnose. Yet all these factors have another side-the emerging phase of
an industrys development is probably the period when the strategic
degrees of freedom are the greatest and when the leverage from good
strategic choices is the highest in determining performance.

i.

Shaping Industry structure

The overriding strategy issue in emerging industries is the ability of the

firms to shape industry structure. Through its choices, the firm can try
to set the rules of the game in areas like product policy, marketing
approach, and pricing strategy. Within the constraints set by the
underlying economics of the industry and its resources, the firm should
seek to define the rules in the industry in a manner that will yield it the
strongest position in the long run.

ii.

Changing Role of suppliers and channels

Strategically, the firm in an emerging industry must be prepared for a

possible shift in the orientation of its suppliers and distribution channels
as the industry grows in size and proves itself. Suppliers may become
increasingly willing (or can be forced) to respond to the industrys
special needs in terms of varieties, service, and delivery. Similarly,
distribution channels may become more receptive to investing in
facilities, advertising, and so forth in partnership with the firms. Early
exploitation of these changes in orientation can give the firm strategic
leverage,

65

STRATEGY FOR MAINTAINING STRATEGY ADVANTAGE:

Hannagan (2002) in defining competitive strategy stated that it arises
when an organization has an advantage in competing with its rivals,
which enables it to earn returns on investment, which are higher than
the average for the sector. This means that a company, which has a
competitive advantage, is able to compete successfully with other
companies in its market. The objective of strategic management is to
create a situation where the company has a sustainable competitive
advantage. In order to maintain a competitive advantage, a strategic
manager must have a clear view of an organizations resources and how
these can be used in the best possible way to achieve its corporate
objectives.

The resources of an organization include the skills of its

human resource, its physical resources in terms of property, plant, and

financial resources including cash and credit. The management process
is concerned, one way or another, with organizing there resources so
that there is a productive outcome. The outcome is the production and
development of products and services which provide benefits to
consumers and are offered in such a way that the organization is able to
succeed. Products and services offered must be that which customers
want, are prepared to and able to buy, while the organization has to
make a profit or to receive sufficient revenue in one way or another to
survive and flourish.

Hannagan (2002) described operations management as the process of

transforming organizations resources from one state, such as raw

66

materials to another, such as finished products.

This transformation

Marketing

Human
resources

Production

process takes place in one way or another in all areas of the economy.

Customers

Suppliers

Accounting

Finance

MIS

Source: Hannagan (2002)

In attempting to achieve a competitive advantage, resources are

foundation for an organizational strategy.

One strategic option is to

select a strategy that best exploits the organizations resources and

capabilities relative to external opportunities. This requires an analysis
of the organizations resources and capabilities and their relative
strengths and weaknesses compared to competitors, and then the
identification of opportunities as well as the gaps in the resources or the
capabilities of the organization so that investment can be directed at
filling these gaps and replenishing and up grading resources and
capabilities.

67

One aspect of competitive advantage is a strategy aimed at positioning

an organization in its market, but fundamental to this process are the
resources of the organization and their availability. For example, the
ability to establish a cost advantage requires an efficient size of
operating plant, whether it is a product writ such as a factory or an
office based operation; the excellent use, of resources; and access to
relatively low cost inputs such as raw materials or labour. Low cost
labour has effectively been utilized by many companies in obtaining
their goods from courtiers that pay low wages.

Competitive advantage can also be obtained through differentiation of

the organizations products and services.

This can be achieved as a

result of image and reputation, product design and development, and

through marketing and distribution capabilities.

Meeting customers

needs requires knowing what these are, having the night product and
making it available in the best way. Strategic marketing is an essential
aspect of organizational success. Products and services need to provide
customer benefits and they need to be at price and in a location where
customers will know about them and make the decision to buy.

FACTORS NEEDED FOR MAINTAINING STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE

1)

Return on investment: Achieving competitive advantage has to

be viewed from the point of view of returns on investment, because it

arises when an organization is in a position to earn returns on
investment which are higher than the average for the sector (Hannagan,
2001).

This is another way of describing an organization that can

68

compete successfully with its rivals in its market. All organizations have
to start with some capital invested in them, whether they are
restaurants or bookshop. A sole trader may approach a bank manager
to lend N500,000 to add to his own investment, or a major company
raising funds from the Nigerian capital market. The common feature of
these financial arrangements is that the people involved in making the
investment will expect a return. The key business ratio is the return on
capital employed which compares the profit earned to the amount of
long-term capital invested in the business.

The capital employed includes the capital of the company owners plus
any long-term liabilities. Investor will be looking for a consistent as well
as high return, while a low return on capital employed will indicate to
them that there are weaknesses in either the profitability or the
productivity of the business.

1. The location and distribution of products and services Hannagan

(2001) described place in marketing terms as a place where the final
exchange occurs between the seller and the purchaser. Managers
have to make decisions about where this exchange takes place and
how. place may be a physical location, such as a shop, or it may be
a system of communication such as the internet or with order. These
services have altered the idea of place and location in that the
services are now available in peoples home, and information on a
wide range of goods and services can be accessed on a worldwide
basis. Managers also have to decide about channels of distribution. A
69

distribution channel is the process that brings together

an

organization and its customers at a particular place and time for the
purpose of exchange.

The channel of distribution is designed to

overcome the main gaps of time and place that separate goods and
services from those who want to use them.

This can be called

logistic management which is about having the correct product o

services in the right place at the right time. The length of a channel
of distribution reflects the number of levels of interposed between
the production of a commodity or service and its final exchange with
consumers. The breadth of a channel of distribution is related to the
total number of different channels to be used at each level. Selling
goods through only one company of retail shops may reduce channel
breadth. On the other hand, selling though a wider variety of shops
may increase it.

Channel length:
Manufacturer - wholesaler - retailer -customer

Middlemen

Channel Breadth:

70

Retailer
Retailer
Manufacturer

Retailer

Customer

Retailer
Retailer
Retailer
Source: Hannagan (2002 : 128)

The advantage to a customer of a direct channel of distribution, that is

when it deals directly with its customers, is that the company can retain
control of channel activities.

Pricing strategy: Another factor that results to competitive advantage is

pricing strategy. In order to achieve the objectives of the company,
managers have to sell their products or services, and this means not
only distributing the products in the best possible way to reach
consumers but also having them at a price which will attract actual
purchases. Price must be consistent with the total marketing strategy
for a product, although at the same time it will depend very heavily on
the supply and demand for the product. If a product is available in large
quantities and demand is relatively low, the price is likely to be low as
well because customers can make a wide choice and choose or bargain
for a lower priced item. If in these circumstances a company originally
sets price at a high level, it will soon fall in order to reach a point where
demand is more equal to the supply.
71

Strategic managers are usually trying to create a less than perfect market
place where they have a competitive advantage. Their marketing strategy
is designed to differentiate the products of their companies so that
instead of having a large number of the same product available to
customers; there are a number of differentiated products. It can be
argued that a companys marketing attempts is to create a monopoly for
its products so that the company can control prices by controlling the
supply of the product. Hannagan (2002)

Promotional strategy: Promotion can be seen as a whole collection of

methods by which the task of providing information on, and creating a
positive image of, organizations and their products and services may be
carried out.

According to Hannagan (2002), promotion requires

communication with customers.

It is obvious that people must have

heard of a product/service before they can make use of it or buy it. The
process of promotion will be objective if it induces consumers to a point
where they demand a product and make a decision to buy.
Hannagan (2002) outlined this process as follows:
1.

Awareness: Potential consumers must be aware of the fact that they

have a need that must be satisfied and that there are various ways to
satisfying it.

2.

Knowledge: after the consumers have realized the existence of

needs, they develop an interest in learning more about the products.

3.

Understanding: consumers need to understand various alternative

courses of action, the benefits available and the cost involved.

72

4.

Attitude: Consumers are able to compare alternative courses of

action, including the option of doing nothing, and form opinions and
attitudes based on their knowledge or of these alternatives.

5.

Action: the closing of the sale may require the active involvement of
a sales person to remove any remaining doubts and to convert the
commitment of the consumer into action.

2.16 STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Authors like Kazim (2002), Jauch and Glueck (1998), Wooten Simon and
Henrne (1997), have outlined various strategic management processes:
Kazim (2002) diagrammatically stated the process thus:
Establishment of
strategic intent

Formation of
strategies

Implementation
of strategies

Strategic
evaluation

Strategic Control

According to him each phase of the strategic management process

consists of a number of elements, which are discrete, and identifiable
activities performed in logical and sequential steps.
These steps are broken down thus;
(1)

Establishing the hierarchy of strategic intent.

a

Creating and communicating a vision.

Designing a vision statement.

Defining the business.

73

(2)

Setting objectives.

Formulation of strategies
a

Performing environmental appraisal.

Doing organizational appraisal.

c.

Considering corporate level strategies.

Considering business-level strategies.

Undertaking strategic analysis.

f.

Exercising strategic choice.

Formulating strategies.

Preparing a strategic plan.

(3) Implementation of strategies

Under this we have:

(4)

Activating strategies.

Designing structures and system.

Managing behavioral implementation.

Managing functional Implementation.

Operationalising strategies.

Performing strategies evaluation and control

a

Performing strategic evaluation.

Exercising strategies control.

Reformulating strategies.

Kazim (2002) went further to explain a bird-eye view of the different

element of the process.
These include:
74

(1)

The hierarchy of strategic intent lays the foundation for the

strategic management of any organization. In this hierarchy, the
vision, mission, business definition and objectives are established.
The strategic intent makes clear what an organization stands for.
The element of vision in the hierarchy of strategic intent serves
the purpose of stating what an organization wishes to achieve in
the long run. The business definition explains the businesses of an
organization in terms of customer needs, customer groups, and
alternative technologies. The objectives of an organization state
what is to be achieved in a given time period. These objectives
then

serve

as

yardstick

and

benchmarks

for

measuring

organizational performance.

(2)

Environmental and organizational appraisal helps to identify the

opportunities and threats operating in the environment and
strength and weaknesses of an organization in order to create a
match between them. In such a manner, opportunities could be
availed of, and the impact of threats neutralized, in order to
capitalize on the organizational strength and minimize the
weakness

(3)

Strategic alternatives and choices are required for evolving

alternative strategies out of the many possible options, and
choosing the most appropriate strategic or strategies in the light
of

environmental

opportunities

and

threats

and

corporate

strengths and weaknesses. Strategies are chosen at the corporate

75

level and the businesslevel. The process used for choosing

strategies involves strategic analysis and choice. The end result of
this set of elements is a strategic plan that can be implemented.

(4)

For the implementation of a strategy, the strategic plan is put into

action

through

procedural

six

sub-processes:

implementation,

project

resource

implementation,

allocation,

structural

implementation, behavioral implementation and functional and

operational implementation. Project implementation deals with
setting up the organization procedural implementation deals
different aspect of the regulatory, framework within which
organizations have to operate, resource allocation relates to the
procurement and commitment of resources for implementation.
The structural aspects of implementation deal with designing
appropriate

organizational

structures

and

systems,

and

reorganizing to match the structure to the needs of the strategy.

The behavioural aspects consider the leadership styles for
implementation strategies and other issues like corporate culture,
corporate politics and we of power, personal values and business
ethics, and social responsibility. The functional aspects relate to
the polcies to be formulated in different functional areas. The
operational implementation deals with the productivity, processes,
people, and pace of implementing the strategies. The emphasis in
the implementation phase of strategic management is on action.
5.

The

last

phase

implementation

of

of

strategic

strategies
76

evaluation

and

measures

appraises

the

organizational

performance. The feedback from strategic evaluation is meant to

exercise strategic control over the strategic management process.
Strategies may be reformulated, if necessary.

77

To determine mission
goals, and values of the
firm and key delusion
maker

Enterprise
Strategists

Mission and
objectives

The general
environment
The Industry &
International
environment

Analysis and
diagnosis

Internal
factors
To consider
Values
Alternatives
& assure

Generic
strategy
alternatives
Choice

Resources and
structure
Policies plans
& Admin.
Strategy
choice

Implementation

Evaluation &
control.

(Feedback)
Source:Jauch & Glueck (1988)

(Feed forward)
78

The Strategic Management

process

Strategy
variations

In a little departure from Kazim (2002), Jauch and Glueck (1998)

explained that the strategic management process for a business which
has organized itself with only a single SBU is given in Fig 3 above.
strategic management elements, and decisions in the strategic
management are classified into eleven levels.
These elements in model are explained broadly as:
(1)

The general managers who are involved in the process of

determining strategy to accomplish objectives are under mission,
business definition, and objectives of the enterprise.

(2)

Analysis and Diagnosis: Determine environmental problems and

opportunities and internal strengths and weaknesses. This involves
reorganizing

problems

and/or

opportunities

and

assessing

information needs to solve the problems and heuristics for

evaluating the information.
(3)

The next level explains the factors in this general environment,

such as economical, technological and political conditions, which
create threats and opportunities for the firm. This stage involves
the analysis of the industry and international environments, and
provision of the tool to help the diagnoses of the environment e.g.
ETOP, SAP

The analysis of internal conditions that provide the strengths the

strategist can use and weaknesses that strategist must current
requires:
Going

down

the strategic

choices.

This

involves

generating

alternative solutions to the problem, assessing them and choosing

79

the best ones. These choices include generic strategy alternatives of

expansion, stability or retrenchment, and combination.
The next that is very important is implementation. This involves
making strategy work by building the structure to support the
strategy and developing appropriate plans and policies. By this also,
it means good resource allocation, organization structure, and
planning

processes.

These

administrative

processes

must

be

integrated with the strategy to close gaps in order to attain desired

objectives.
Finally, the process involves the evaluation and control. These review
the results and future possibilities, determining whether the strategy
is working and taking steps to make it work.

Also as part of the important aspect of implementation is the

evaluation, feedback, and control of the strategy under way is
important. But evaluation also includes feed forward to serve as an
input to determine whether the strategy and plans as decided will
work before proceeding with the choice.
As fig 3 suggests, these phases are integrated. While it is convenient
according to Authors to discuss them as if they were a sequential
step by step series of activities, in reality each phase affect all the
other phases. As strategists carefully scan to environment; the
implementation of past strategies and choice phase for new strategic
directions requires a consideration of the ability to implement.
At the end of it all, strategic management is a continuous process. To
say that it is a process rather than a series of steps is not just a shift
80

of words. The various parts of the process interact. Analytically, we

can separate them, in reality we cant. As cases and businesses are
analyzed, the integrated whole requires comprehensive explorations.
This process then is a guide to improving strategic thinking.
According to Hill and Gareth (1998), the process of strategic
management can be broken into five components. These components
include:
i)

selection of the corporate mission and major corporate goals;

ii)

analysis of the organization, and its external competitive

environment to identify opportunities and threats;

iii)

analysis of the organization is internal operating environment to

identify the organizations strengths and weaknesses;

iv)

the selection of strategies that build on the organizations

strength and corrects its weaknesses in order to take
advantage of external opportunities and counter external
threats; and

v)

Strategy

implementation.

The

task

of

analysing

the

organizations external and internal environment and then

selecting an appropriate strategy is normally called strategy
formulation. In contrast, strategy implementation typically
involves designing appropriate organizational structures and
control systems to put the strategy chosen into action.

81

2.17 LEVELS OF STRATEGY

Hannagan (2002), Stoner et al (1995) described 3 levels of strategy
as:
Corporate level strategy: Corporatelevel strategy is formulated by
top

management

to

oversee

the

interests

and

operations

of

organizations made up of more than one line of business. The major

questions at this level are: What kinds of business should the company
engaged in? What are the goals and expectations for each business?
How should resources be allocated to reach these goals?

Top managers at Nigerian breweries have been remarkably successful in

putting together a number of small, diverse businesses that share the
strengths and vision of the total organization, especially the strong
emphasis on innovation. For instance, six different units exist under the
Nigeria breweries product unit, which is one of three life sciences units.
Infusing the activities of so many business units with a company wide
sense of direction is what corporate level strategists must do.

With a corporate strategy, managers take a claim for their organizations

place in the future. Your can think of a corporate strategy as an idea
about how people at an organization will interact with people at other
organizations over time. So it is very important to understand what a
corporate strategy entails.

It is something of substance that guides people in their day to day work

over an extended period of time.
82

Quality as part of corporate strategy: Quality has become a unifying

theme for many organizations, from Nigerian breweries to Nigeria
bottling

company.

Important

to

the

success

of

total

quality

management, however, is linking the quality program to a few clear

strategic goals. As financial standards point out, Obselling about quality
is no replacement for a well thought out corporate strategy.

At the Nigeria breweries, the quality program was redesigned with three
targets in mind: boosting customer satisfaction, cutting costs, and
reducing product introduction time.

The quality programme has two tongues defect prevention (with a goal
of two defects per billion by the year 2000) and cycle time reduction
decreasing the length of time required to compete a job. This quality
goal does not just apply to manufacturing, but to departments such as
finance as well.

For instance, in 1988, it took coca-cola eleven days to close its book
each month, but by 1993 it took two days.

This time difference

translates to a considerable cost savings.

Business unit strategy: Business unit strategy (also called line of

business strategy) is concerned with managing the interests and
operations of a particular line of business. It deals with questions such
as:

how

will

the business

compete
83

within

its

market?

What

products/services should it offer? Which customers does it seek to

serve? How will resources be distributed within the business? Business
unit strategy attempts to determine what approach to its market the
business should take, and how it should conduct itself, given its
resource and the conditions of the market.

Many corporations have extrusive interests in different businesses, and

top managers have difficulty in organizing these corporations complex
and varied activities. One approach to dealing with this problem is to
create strategic business units (SBUs). In this system of organization,
various business activities that produce a particular type of product or
service are grouped and treated as a single business unit.

The

corporate level provides a set of guidelines for the SBUs, which develop
their own strategies on the business unit level. The corporate level then
reviews the SBU plans and negotiates changes if necessary.

FUNCTIONAL Level strategy: functional level strategies create a

frame work for managers in each function such as marketing or
production to carry out business unit strategies and corporate strategies
functionallevel strategies complete the hierarchy of strategies.

84

Different levels of strategy:

Structure

Strategy
Corporate Office

SBU
A

Corporate Level

SBU
C

SBU
B

Business - level

Functional Level
Finance

Marketing

Operations

Personnel

Information

Kazmi: (2002) in agreement with Stoner (2000) explained that the SBUs
are involved in a single line of business. A complementary concept to
the SBU, is the Strategic Business Area (SBA), which is defined as a
distinctive sediment of the environment in which the firm does (or may
want to do) business

A number of SBUs form a cluster of units under a corporate umbrella.

Each one of the SBUs has its own functional department, and or a few
major ones grouped under the corporate level. These different levels are
illustrated in the diagram above. Two types of levels are depicted in this
diagram.

One relates to the organizational levels and the other to the strategic
levels. The organizational levels are those of the corporate, SBU and
functional levels. The strategic levels are those of the corporate, SBU
and

functional level strategies. Corporate level strategy is

85

an

overarching plan of action covering the various functions performed by

different SBUS.

The plan deals with the objects of the company,

allocation of resources and coordination of the SBUs for optional

performance.

SBU level core business) strategy is a comprehensive plan providing

objectives for SBUs, allocation of resources among functional areas, and
coordination between than for making an optimal contribution to the
achievement of corporate level objectives.

Functional strategy deals with a relatively restricted plan providing

objectives for a specific function, allocation of resources among different
operations within that functional area, and coordination between them
for optimal contribution to the achievement of SBU and corporate-level
objectives.

Apart from the three levels at which strategic plans are made,
occasionally companies plans at a level higher than the corporate level
these are called the societal strategy which is a generalized view of how
the corporation relates itself to society in terms of a particular need or a
set of needs that it strives to fulfill.

Corporatelevel strategies could

then be based on the societal strategy. Suppose a corporation decides

to provide alternative sources of energy for society at an optimum price
and based on the latest available technology. On the basis of its societal
strategy, the corporation has a number of alternatives with regard to
the businesses it can take up. It can either be a maker of equipments
86

used for tapping solar energy, or a builder of windmills, among other

alternatives. The choice is wide; however being in one of these diverse
fields would still keep the corporation within the limits set by its societal
strategy. Corporate and business level strategies derive their rational
from the societal strategy.

2.18 STRATEGIC GAP ANALYSES

Jauch and Glueck (1998) proposed three strategic gap conditions. These
conditions are: (1)

The gap must be perceived to be significant. Some theories refer

to this as minimum threshold perception. The idea is that if you expect

to be close to where you want to be, no change is required. If you want
a 10 percent share and expect to get 9, you may not change
anything.
(2)

The decision maker must be motivated to reduce the gap. Given

multiple outcomes, the gap, even if significant, must pertain to an

important objective. The trade off required to reduce a gap in one
objective at the expense of a larger gap in a more important objective
may reduce the motivation to make any alterations.
(3)

The decision maker must believe that the gap can be reduced. the

organization is seen as incapable of reducing the gap, the gap may be

ignored. If the gap is a sales decline in corn and the decline is expected
to be due to inadequate rainfall, the choice may be to try to grow corn.
They concluded that if any of the three conditions is not present, it is
wise that no change will be made or that the desired outcomes will be
changed to be consistent with expected outcomes. If a change is made
87

and the overall process is effective, the desired outcome will be

reached; then the process will start all over with new and probably
higher desired outcome. As a change is implemented, if the desired
outcomes prove to be unrealistically high, or if unforeseen changes in
the environment occur, or if the implementation is ineffective, the
desired outcomes might have to be lowered incrementally, or a
contingency plan might have to be put into effect to deal with the new
circumstances.

In all these instances, note that the various phases shown in fig 4 are
linked together. In effect, this gap analysis can occur at any stage in the
overall process. For instance, an internal analysis might reveal that the
firm is not currently capable of reaching the desired outcomes with its
current resources. It could try to build additional resources to reduce
the gap if management believes it can reduce the gap this way; if not,
this resource constraint could be a reason for resolving the gap
differential by altering desired outcomes. Thus strategic choice and
evaluation are ongoing in all parts of the model outlined in fig 4 and can
lead to strategic change, goal alterations, or changes in implementation.
According to Jauch and Glueck (1988), looking carefully at the three
conditions which must prevail before the gap will trigger action; you will
note that perception, motivation, and belief are involved.

88

gap Analysis

Disired Outcome

w
Ne

te
tr a

gy

Past strategy

Performance gaps
Ex

isti
n

gS

tru

ate

gy

Expected Outcome
Source: Jauch and Glueck (1998)

2.19 STRATEGIC ANALYSIS

Kazim (2002) broadly classified strategic analysis into two parts. These
are corporate level strategic analysis and Business level strategic
analysis. Under corporate level strategic analysis we have:

a.

CORPORATE PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS

Corporate portfolio analysis is a set of techniques that evolved during

the mid- 1960s and soon became a management fad. During the 1970s,
a tendency to discredit these techniques arose when it was realized that
the assumption did not always hold good. However, currently it is
accepted that these techniques are useful, not as purely prescriptive but
as an important and decisive part of a set criteria, normative as well as
descriptive that assist strategists in exercising a strategic choice.
89

Kazim (2002) therefore defined corporate portfolio analysis as a set of

techniques that help strategists in taking strategic decision with regard
to individual products in a firms portfolio.

It is primarily used for competitive analysis and corporate strategic

planning in multi product and multi business firms. They may also be
used in less diversified firms, if they consist of a main business and
other minor complementary interests. The main advantage in adopting a
portfolio approach in a multi product, multi business firm is that
resources could be channeled at the corporate level to those business
that possess the greatest potential.

b.

BCG MATRIX

(The Boston Consulting matrix is the most popular technique considered

under corporate portfolio analysis.
Kazim (2002), Jauch and Glueck (1998), Cherunilan (2004)
Hill and Jones (1988) all agreed that the BCG Matrix is a very important
technique in corporate portfolio analysis. The main objective of the
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) technique is to help senior managers
identify the cash flow requirement of the different businesses in their
portfolio. The BCG approach involves three main steps
(1)

Dividing a company into strategic business units (SBUs) and

assessing the long term prospect of each;

(2)

Comparing SBUs against each other by means of a matrix that

indicates the relative prospects of each; and

(3)

Developing strategic objectives with respect to each SBU.

90

According to the BCG, a company must create an SBU for each

economically distinct business area that it competes. When top
managers identify SBUs, their objective is to divide a company into
strategic entities that are relevant for planning purposes. Normally, a
company defines its SBU in terms of the product markets they are
competing in. Having defined SBUs, top managers then assess each
according to two criteria:
i.

The SBUs relative market share and

ii.

The growth rate of the SBUs industry.

The objective of identifying an SBUs relative market share is to

establish whether that SBUs market position can be classified as a
strength or a weakness. Relative market share is defined as the ratio of
an SBUS market share to the market share held by the largest rival
company in its industry. According to the Boston Consulting Group,
market share gives a company cost advantages from economics of scale
and learning effects.

High

Low

Comparing strategic Business Units.

Stars

Question Marks

Cash cow

Dogs

Fig. The Boston Consulting Group Matrix

The Matrix is divided into four cells. SBU in cell I are defined as Stars,
in cell 2 as Question marks, in cell 3 as cash cows, and in cell 4 as dogs.
BCG argues that these different types of SBUS have different long-term
prospects and different implication for cash accounts.
91

Their competitive strength comes from being farthest down the

experience curve. They are the cost leaders in their industries. BCG
argues that this position enables such SBUS to remain very profitable.
However, low growth implies a lack of opportunities for future
expansion. As a consequence, BCG argues that the capital investment
requirements of cash cows are not substantial, and thus they are
depicted as generating a strong positive cash flow.

Dog: SBUs that are in low growth industries but have a low market
share are dogs. They have a weak competitive position in unattractive
industries and thus are viewed as offering few benefits to a company.
BCG suggests that such SBUs are unlikely to generate much in the way
of a positive cash flow and indeed may becomes ash hogs. Though
offering flow prospects for future growth in return, dogs may require
substantial capital investments just to maintain their low market share.
c.

ENVIRONMENT VALUES RESOURCES (EVR):

Thompson John (1995) stated that David Marshall used E-V-R

Congruence framework to demonstrate the underlying concept of
strategic management. The theory (EVR) stated that strategies are
being managed effectively when the organisations resources are
deployed in such a way that business meets the demands and
expectations of its stakeholders, and responds and adapts to changes in
the environment.

Simply expressed, an organization has strengths

when it can capitalize on opportunities and deal with potential threats in

a climate of change pressures.
92

EVR Congruence is a refined version of SWOT (Strength, weakness,

opportunity and threat) analysis. SWOT analysis is used to clarify the
current strategic situation, while EVR Congruence serves as a more
clarifying technique to understanding strategic situation.

E.V.R. Congruence three pillars can be clarified thus;

The
strategy

Environment
(Opportunities
and threats

SWOT
analysis

RESOURCES
(Strengths and
Weaknesses

VALUE

E-V-R CONGRUENCE
Source John L. Thompson (1995)
Under this theory we have:
(a) Environment in which the following questions are asked;
i)

What do customer and other stakeholders demand?

ii)

Which competitors strengths have to be bettered?

(b)

Resources: that are critically important, as to why, and how must

they be deployed to satisfy (changing) market needs.

(c)
i)
ii)

Values:
What will it feel like to work in the company?
Which value(s) are to be adapted or changed?
93

Strategic management is effective when resources match stakeholders

needs and expectation. The external environment consists of suppliers,
distributors and customer as well as bankers and other financial
institutions and shareholders.
E-V-R basically focuses on two basic questions:
(1)

What will our major stakeholders expect from us in the future, and
how are we going to satisfy their changing needs?

(2)

What are the most valuable skills and capabilities, as well as new
opportunities to exploit using these capabilities?

This type of analysis, however it might be carried out, should allow the
organization to make decisions concerning future targets and actions
which will be required to achieve them.
d. GE NINE-CELL MATRIX
Another corporate portfolio analysis technique is based on the
pioneering efforts of the General Electric (GE) Company of the United
States supported by the consulting firm of McKinsey and Company. The
diagram below shows a typical GE nine-cell matrix. The vertical axis
represents industry attractiveness, which is a weighted composite rating
based on eight different factors. These factors are: market size and
growth rate; industry profit margin; competitive intensity; seasonality;
economies of scale; technology; and social, environmental, legal and
human impacts.

The horizontal axis represents business strength

competitive position, which is again a weighted composite rating based

on seven factors. These factors are: relative market share, profit
margins, ability to compete on price and quality, knowledge of customer
and market, competitive strengths and weaknesses, technological
94

capability, and the caliber of management. As can be seen from the list
of the factors, good use can be made of the industry, competitor, and
SWOT analyses information for determining the weight age and rating
to assign to each factor. The two composite values for industry
attractiveness and business strength/competitive position are plotted for
each business in a companys portfolio.

The pie charts (or circles)

denote the proportional size of the industry and the dark segments
represent the companys market share.
The nine cells of the GE matrix are grouped on the basis of low to high
industry attractiveness, and weak to strong business strength.

ZONE

STRATEGIC
SIGNAL

GREEN

INVEST/
EXPAND

YELLOW

SELECT/
EARN

RED

e.

INDUSTRY ATTRACTIVENESS

General Electric Nine cell Matrix

HIGH

MEDIUM

LOW

HARVEST/
DIVEST
PORTERS
FIVE FORCES

5.

Source: Azhar Kazmi (2002)

Michael Porter (1980) of Harvard Business School developed a widely
used framework that classifies the various forces of competition under
five headings for each industry as shown in the diagram below. Direct
competition is from rival companies in the same industry, industry
profitability is also affected by the competitive pressure or threat
95

exerted by four forces external to the industry; suppliers of substitute

products; potential new entrants; suppliers to the industry; and buyers.
In analyzing strategic and investment priorities, managers must identify
opportunities in industries such as weak competitive forcesfew rivals,
no close substitutes, high barriers to entry, suppliers and buyers with
weak bargaining power.
SUPPLIER

Bargaining
power of
suppliers

POTENTIAL
ENTRANTS

Threat
of new
entrants

Industry
Rivalry
Rivalry among
existing firms

Threat of
Substitute
products or
services

SUBSTITUTES

Bargaining
power of
buyers
Buyers

Source: Michael Porter (1980)

f.

THE EXPERIENCE CURVE

Must strategy analysis, including porters five forces and especially the
Boston boxes, encourage companies to seek a dominant market
position, eflected in a high relative market share.
Support for this idea comes from the Strategic Planning Institutes
influential PIMS (profit impact of market strategy) studies in the 1970s,
96

which found a positive correlation between business profitability and

market share. This correlation is lower

than many people suppose but,

other things being equal, a high market share is associated with an

increase return on investment through higher prices (based on product
ranged /quality and bargaining power), lower cost and higher asset
turnover.
The cost advantage of a company that dominates its market goes
beyond static economies of scale (i.e. with a given technology large
operation tends to have lower unit costs). The dominant company also
has more scope to reduce cost over time by learning from experience.
This idea was studied, developed and disseminated by BCG from the
late-1960s, summarized in the law of Experience The unit cost of
value added to a standard product declines by a constant percentage
(typically between 20 per cent and 30 per cent) each time cumulative
output doubles. The Figure below shows a classic industry experience
curve from this time.
Experience curve can also be found for individual companies over time
and

(less

reliably)

cross-sectionally

between

companies.

Their

importance is in focusing on the rate and sources of experience-based

cost reduction.

97

1960 Yen

THE EXPERIENCE CURVE

75%

Accumulated unit production (000s)

Sources: DTI, A Review of Monopolies and mergers Policy, HMSO 1978

THE

IMPORTANCE

OF

THE

LINK

BETWEEN

STRATEGIC

MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE.

Hannagan (2002) explained the link between strategic management and
organizational culture. He stated that strategy is a focus for an
organization and the people within it, to understand the purpose of the
organization, where it is going, how it is going to reach that goal, and
the role of individuals in the life of the organization. Strategy can also
provide individuals with long term objectives with which they are able to
identify and value, and can also provide a link between company,
policies and a context for company actions. This means that strategy
can be more than a means of matching internal resources to meet
external opportunities and to deal with external threats.
Strategic management and strategic plans are influenced by the needs
of customers, competitive forces and other environmental forces. They
are also affected by the culture of the organization and help to reinforce
this culture. In order for an organization to be successful it must have
98

more than a strong and appropriate culture, it must also be able to

continuously adapt to its environment. An adaptive culture is likely to be
one in which people will take risks against a background of trust,
teamwork and confidence in their own abilities and those of their
colleagues and have enthusiasm for their jobs. Adaptability enables an
organization to be effective by:
Recognizing and responding to internal constituencies so that
different teams and department interact positively with each other.
Responding to either internal or external influences with the ability to
restructure and re-institutionalise behaviours and processes as
appropriate.
At the same time, if any organization takes too many risks it may find
itself in difficulties and change can lead to instability and a loss of
direction. Ideally, the culture of an organization should be one which
values and supports all the stakeholders in an organization, such as
customers, shareholders and employee and in the case of the public
sector, government agencies and the public as well. The culture can
provide employees with non-economic reasons for investing their
effort in supporting the success of the organization.
Organizational culture influences strategy formulation in a number of
ways:
It acts as a filter for peoples view of their environment.
It establishes moral and ethical standards.
It provides rules and norms for behaviour.
It influences power and authority and how decision are made

99

An organizations culture influences how its strategy is implemented.

The more closely the strategy is in tune with the prevailing culture, the
more effectively the strategy will be put into practice. It can be argued
that the most effective cultures are those which actively involve large
numbers of individuals in consultative and decision-making bodies. Also
some cultures allow an organization to exploit an environment more
effectively than others and are therefore more strategically appropriate.
Organizational strategies and structures and their implementation are
shaped by the assumptions and beliefs, which can be defined as culture.
Culture can constrain or support the ability of an organization to
succeed.
2.20 STRATEGY IN TOUCH WITH THE MACRO-ECONOMY
Business cycle and strategy; Abel and Barnanke (1998) defined business
cycle as fluctuation found in the aggregate economic activity of nations
that organize their work mainly in business enterprises. A cycle consists
of expansions occurring at about the same time in many economic
activates, followed by similarly general recession, contractions, and
revivals which merge into the expansion phase of the next cycle, this
sequence of changes is recurrent but not periodic. In duration, business
cycles vary from more than one year to ten or twelve year.

Success or failure of business strategy can be attributed to business

cycle. The business cycle is a central concern in macroeconomics
because its cycle flirtatious the ups and downs in overall economic
activity are felt throughout the economy.
100

The effect is that must

companies operating within the economy resort to contraction strategy.

When the economy is growing strongly, prosperity is shared by most of
the nations industries and their workers and owners of capital. When
the economy weakens, many sector of the economy experience
declining sales and production, and the number of unemployed workers
increases. Because the effects of business cycle are so widespread, and
because economic down turns can cause great hardship, economists,
business strategists have attempted to find the causes of these episodes
and to determine what, if anything can be done to counteract them.

Aggregate economic activity

Normal
growth
path

Contraction

Expansion
T

Expansion
T

TIME

Source: Abel and Benanke (1998) business cycle

The diagram above is a typical business cycle which helps to explain

what burns and Mitchell meant by expansion and contractions.

The

dashed line shows the average, or normal, growth path of aggregate

101

economic activity, and the bold line shows the rises and falls of actual
economic activity. The period of time during which aggregate economic
activity is falling is a contraction or recession.

If the recession is

particularly severe, it becomes a depression. After reaching the low

point of the contraction, the trough (T), aggregate economic activity
begins to increase.

The period of time during which aggregate

economic activity grows is an expansion or a boom. After reaching the

high point of the expansion, the peak (P), aggregate economic activity
begins to decline again. The entire sequence of decline followed by
recovery, measured from peak to peak or trough to trough, is a
business cycle. The diagram above, suggests that business cycle are
purely temporary deviation from the economy in longrun growth path.
However, part of the output losses and gains that occur during a
business cycle may become permanent.

Peaks and trough in the business cycle are known collectively as turning
points. One goal of business cycle research is to identify when turning
points occur and how it affects business.

Dess and Miller (1993), also explained that the overall state of the
economy greatly influences the strategies and performance of various
industries and competitors within each industry. Some of the more
prominent indicators by which the health of an economy can be pledged
are growth in GNP, interest rate, inflation rates, saving rates, and
budget deficits/surprises. According to Dass and Miller, these indicators
are highly interrelated. The GNP represents the dollar measure of the
102

value of all goods and services produced within an economy. As such,

an increase in the GNP is generally associated with higher levels of
consumer and industrial demand for products and services.

Demand for many goods and services such as automobiles and

entertainment, rises and falls according to fluctuations in interest rates;
the higher the interest rate, the lower the demand. The cost of capital
also goes up during periods of higher interest rates, thus depressing
capital investment; because interest rate are such an important factor in
decisions involving major expenditures for plant and equipment.
Similarly, inflation or price movement is an important variable that
business strategist should monitor for sound and feasible strategy

2.21 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ISSUES.

According to Jauch and Glueck(1998) internal analysis is the process by
which the strategist examine the firms marketing and distribution
research and development, production, corporate resources and
personnel, and finance and accounting factors, to determine where the
firm was significant, strengths and weaknesses. Internal diagnosis is the
process by which strategists determine how to exploit the opportunities
and meet the threats the environment is presenting by using strengths
and repairing weaknesses in order to build sustainable competitive
advantages.

Every firm has strengths and weaknesses. The largest firms have
financial strengths, in comparison with smaller firms, but they tend to
103

move more slowly and may be less able to serve small market segments
effectively. No firm is equally strong in al its functions. For instance,
Nigerian Brewery may have superb marketing, events for its outstanding
production and product design, MTN Nigeria known for its outstanding
service and personnel policies, yet each of these firms is not strong
across the board within a company, each division has varying strength
and weaknesses. Oceanic Bank Nigeria may be strong in customer
service and weak in computers.

A firm must determine what its

distinctive competencies are, and how to use these abilities now and in
the future. And it must determine whether weaknesses will limit
strategic options or identify weaknesses which can be overcome. Unless
the executives are fully aware of their competitive advantages, they may
not know the opportunity that is likely to lead to the greatest successes.
Thus, managers/executives conduct regularly environmental analysis so
that decisions can be made about how to use or add strengths and
minimize weaknesses for competitive advantage.

Jauch and Glueck (1998) outlined the internal factors for strategic
analysis. These factors are:
(a) Marketing and distribution factors: Marketing and distribution means
moving goods or services from the producer to the customer. It starts
with finding out what customers want or need and whether the product
and/or service can be sold at a profit. This requires conducting market
research, identifying the market, developing product, testing customer
reaction, working out production and cost, determining distribution and

104

service requirements, and deciding on advertising and promotion

approaches.

Vast economic and social changes have made marketing strengths more
important for most firms. The recession in the early 1980s in Nigeria
and demographic and life style shifts created problems for those who
pursued mass marketing and brand loyalty as the keys to marketing
success. Likewise, intense international competition, rapid technological
change, and deregulation have created new weaknesses in typical
marketing approaches. The changing nature of competition requires a
close look at marketing strengths and weaknesses in order to build
competitive advantage in increasingly

fragmented

markets. The

strategist is looking to see if the firm is substantially stronger in

marketing and distribution than its competitors.

The operational marketing questions of segmentation, positioning, and

mix (product, price, promotion, and distribution) are quite important to
the firms ability to compete effectively. Of course, firms compete on
any and all of these factors. Some firms prefer approaches involving low
prices, lower quality, more promotion, and wide distribution; others
prefer orientations toward higher prices, higher quality and custom
design.

Assessments of the weaknesses in relation to market potential also

suggest areas where improvement can be made. For instance, if there
appear to be a gap in the product line, new product development or
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acquisition is called for to out the existing line or create new ones. A
gap in distribution might lead to efforts to build intensity, exposure or
coverage. If usage gaps exist, price or promotion can lead to increased
frequency of purchase, or new uses or users (customers) can be found
for product.

Just as important as these questions are other areas focus on how the
marketing organization functions. For instance, the organization may
have the ability to accumulated better knowledge about its market than
the competitors, if properly used, this can be a major advantage with
respect to assessing the need for changes and determining their timing
similarly, if the marketing organization maintains good relationship with
production the translation of market place needs into timely creation of
goods and services can lead to a competitive edge.

Finally, the importance of marketing to overall success of the company

needs evaluation. In some firms, such as those which supply to a few
customers who specify their precise needs, defense contractors, the
marketing function need not be particularly strong. In other industries,
the greatest share of internal resource allocation may go to marketing
department. As competitive needs are assessed, the relative strength of
marketing and the way it is managed in relation to major competitors
may lead to indications of strength or weaknesses.

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(b) R & D (Research and Development): The research and development

and engineering function can be a competitive advantage for two prime
reasons. (1) It can lead to new or improved products for marketing and
(2) it can lead to the development of improved manufacturing or
material processes to gain cost advantages through efficiency.

Positive technology involves record for the purpose of upgrading

existing technologies and improving products.

Research on negative

technology is done on processes, materials, or technology, which could

present a threat to existing technology. While this entails time, cost, and
risk, it enhances the possibility of accumulation of new technology and
keeps a firm abreast of potential substitutions. Nonexistent technology
research focuses on developments which could provide threat or
opportunity in the future. Without this, delays in research of negative
technology would cease to be developed.

As with marketing, the importance of R & D to success in business is

much higher for some than for others, for instance, computer firms
generally have mush larger R & D Budget (5-6 percent of sales) than do
many other industries. Yet, some firms choose to innovate with new
products while others develop new applications or minor improvements.
Of equal importance, R. & D is seen as a way to improve productivity in
manufacturing. Statistics show that Japanese companies spend more on
R & D than American companies.

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Production and operation management: This is another strategic

management issue that strategist look at business strategy. Operation
is one of the most strategic areas in business management. High cost of
operation can mar any business. The United States used to be cited as
the leader in this area. Now it seems that Japanese, Taiwanese Korean,
or European firms are the leader, The development of careful
production planning and control systems, productivity improvements,
supplier relation, and plant capacity and location decisions can lead to
important competitive advantages for a firm. If a firm can produce at a
lower cost, has the capacity to handle business when others cant, or
can get raw materials at favorable prices it has a competitive advantage.
According to Jauch and Glueck (1998) in an era where mass marketing
gives way to a focus on needs of fragmented population groups which
seen to change rapidly, and flexibility in operation can very will become
a competitive strength firms can increase process flexibility

As well as add flexibility to the production infrastructure (personal

training, inventory, quality, control and planning and scheduling. This
creates aggregate manufacturing flexibility.

2.22 CORPORATE RESOURCES AND PERSONAL FACTOR

Presley (1997) defined human resources management as the practice
and policies concerning the people or human resources of an
organization which including recruitment, screening, training, rewarding
and appraising.

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Human resources management is a strategic issue in business

management today. Jeweh (1998) listed corporate resources and
personnel factors, which can provide competitive advantages for a firm
as:

1.

Corporate image and prestige.

2.

Effective organization structure, climate, and culture.

3.

Company size in relation to the industry (barrier to entry).

4.

Strategic management process.

5.

Enterprises record for reaching objectives.

6.

Influence with regulatory and governmental bodies.

7.

Effective corporate staffs support system.

8.

High quality employees.

a.

Balanced functional experience and track record of top

management. Are replacements trained and ready to take
over? Do the top managers work too well together as a
team?

9.

Efficient and effective personnel relation policies, staff appraisal

and promotion, training and development, and compensation and
benefits.

10.

Effective relations with trade union.

11.

Lower cost of labour as measured by compensation, turnover and

absenteeism.

12.

Effective management information and computer systems.

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Many of these factors become particularly important when managers try

to determine whether a strategy can be implemented. Weaknesses in
these areas could lead to a decision of not attempting a given strategy
because of the inability to carry it out effectively. For example, an
acquisition candidate whose organization structure is incompatible with
the structure of your firm could be a poor choice. Or a strategy to close
plant could be affected by union contracts.

2.23 FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING FACTOR:

Analysis of the comparative financial conditions of the firms is primarily
done to determine whether the firm is capable of undertaking a
particular strategy, or if it is advisable to do so. For instance, many
entrepreneurs fail to account for their financial weaknesses in their
start-up phase. Their firms go belly-up because of the cash flow
weakness if they have not planned for it. And many firm have costly
plant expansions only to find that they are financially incapable of
paying for them. Another purpose of financial analysis is to help pinpoint
strengths or weaknesses in other functional areas, from operational and
strategic perspectives. Accounting policies for inventory validation can
have strategic value when changed in response to inflation and other
external changes.

However, two important ideas to keep in mind as the financial position

of the firm is analyzed. First, financial value of a firm must be carefully
considered in terms of the basis upon which the valuation is made.
Stock market prices may reflect short term judgments of analyst:
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Liftman et al (1994) stated that poor financial control is often a cause of

falling profitability. This can result from poor budgetary control, and
inadequate costing system or inability to monitor and control cash. They
continued by saying finance as a corporate function has many aspects
which are concerned with strategy, these are:
- The acquisition of funds
- The use of such funds, including project appraisal;
- The provision of information to outsiders, including the preparation of
final accounts.
- The provisions of intend information the management accounting
function.
- The provision of information from outside the company.

Corporate Marketing:
Guiltinan and Paul, (1991) defined corporate marketing planning as the
process by which on organization sets its long term priorities
regarding products and market in order to enhance the value of the
overall company. Two kinds of top management decision are involved in
corporate marketing planning cooperate strategy and product mix
strategy.

According to Guiltinan and Paul, in corporate strategy,

management identifies the businesses in which the company will be

involved in the future by specifying:

The range of market to be served

The kinds of products to be offered.

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In making corporate strategy decision, the critical question to be

answered is in what markets will our particular resources be most
effective in implementing the marketing concept
Once a corporate strategy has been chosen, management must develop
a product mix strategy to identify the role each product is expected to
play in building the value of the business. The strategy will specify

The relative share of the firms resources to be devoted to each

product or product line.

The kind of contribution that each product or product line is

expected to make toward building the companys value.

From the middle managers view, the product mix strategy provides
guidance concerning top managements expectations. Knowing the role
the product is expected to play is very important in the overall corporate
picture to the development of marketing strategies and programs.

Corporate strategy and marketing corporate strategies are long-range

plans designed to select the various businesses a company should be in,
identify the market to be served (defining then in terms of needs or
customers or both) and the product lines and services to be produced
on the basis of an assessment of the companys environment, resources
and objectives.

2.24 FACTORS AFFECTING CORPORATE MARKETING STRATEGY

Guiltinan and Paul (1991) outline three basic factor affection corporate
marketing strategy. These are:
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1. Environmental problems and Opportunities: All organizations

operate in a dynamic environment which can create a variety of
problems or opportunities in the firms existing or potential markets
The environmental problems include:
a. Demographic features: such as the age distribution of the population,
the birth rate, population growth, regional population shifts, and the
percentage of two worker households.
b. Social ad cultural values, such as attitudes toward health and intuition,
the need for self-expression, materialism, ecological concerns, product
safety.
c. Economic factors, including inflation and unemployment rates, economic
growth, raw material, energy cost, interest rates, import duties, and
excise taxes.
d. Technology, particularly developing and anticipating changes that have
on impact on the kinds of products available in a market and the kinds
of processes used to produce these products.
e. Legal and regulatory actions, which include regulations regarding the
type of advertising available to a product, product labeling and testing
requirements, limitations regarding product contents, pollution control,
restrictions or incentives with respect to import and exports.
f. Competition, which to a large extent is a function of the other
environmental forces. Specifically, both the identity of competitors and
the type of focus (for example, price oriented versus technologyoriented) of competition may change because of:

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The entry of new firms (especially

The acquisition of a small competitors by a large, well financed

organization

Deregulation, changing economic condition or new production

processes which faster increased price competition.

Changing social and cultural values or new technology, which

causes buyers to purchase faster, increased price competition.

Changing social and cultural values or new technology which causes

buyers to purchase products or services previously considered noncompetitive.

2.25 GROWTH STRATEGY FOR CURRENT MARKETS

Guiltinan and Paul (1991:29) outlined various growth strategies for
current markets and new markets. These are:

Market penetration: market penetration refers to a strategy in

which a firm expands its marketing effort to increase sales of
existing

products

in

its

current

markets.

Typically,

market

penetration is achieved by increasing the level of marketing effort

either by advertising and distribution) or by lowering prices. The
sales potential of many products goes unrealized because the
company is too small to initiate such efforts. As a result, large firms
often acquire such products and then engage in the proper market
penetration efforts. Because market penetration requires no
change in either a firms products or markets, it is essentially a
status quo strategy. As long as current performance is sound, and
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the

environment

remains

supportive

of

growth

and

profit

opportunities, a firm may want to stick with its basic business. But
even in growing or highly profitable markets, some adjustments to
the product offering will usually become necessary because of
environmental changes.

2. Product Development: Product development strategies involve the

development of new product for existing markets in order to:
(i)

meet changing customer needs and wants;

(ii)

match new competitive offerings; and

(iii)

meet the needs of specific market segments.

This strategy involves replacing existing products or expanding the

product line. Usually, product development is appropriate when changing
needs and taste result in the emergence of new segments o when
competitive and technological changes motivate firms to modify their
product lines.

To enhance a firms effectiveness or efficiency in serving existing

markets, vertical integration strategies are selected. Such integration is
often accomplished when a firm becomes its own supplier. As a general
rule these strategies will be most appropriate when the ultimate markets
are projected as having high growth potential, because the resources
required to implement these strategies are usually extensive.

Although vertical integration seems to be a fairly low-risk strategy, in

practice it is not nearly as simple as other current market strategies.
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For example, the managerial and marketing skills required for forward
integration into retailing of clothing are far different from those involved
in the manufacturing of clothing. Similarly backward integration may
back fire if a firm cannot produce its own supplies efficiently.

3. GROWTH STRATEGIES FOR NEW MARKETS

Gultinan and Paul (1991) adopted four kind of corporate strategies in
entering new markets. These are.

1. Market development: the market development strategy represents an

effort to bring current products to new markets. Typically, management
will employ this strategy when existing markets are stagnant, and when
market share increases are difficult to achieve because market shares
are already very high or because competitors are very powerful. This
strategy can be implemented by identifying new uses or new users.
2. Market Expansion: A market expansion strategy involves moving into
a new geographic market area. Many firms originates as regional
competitors

Today however market expansion is more likely to be international in

scope, and frequently through the growth strategy it is most likely to
achieve rapid growth in sales volume.

International market expansion

strategy can be pursued at one of three levels: regional, multinational, or

global level.

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A regional strategy implies that a company will totally concentrates its

resources and efforts in one or two areas. A multinational strategy involves
a commitment to a broad range of national market. A global strategy is
employed when an organization operates in a broad set of markets but
with a common set of strategic principles.

3. Diversification: This is a strategy which involves both new products

and new market. This strategy is likely to be chosen when one or more
of the following conditions exist.
No other growth opportunities can be established with existing
products or markets
The firm has unstable sales or profits because it operates in
markets that are characterized by unstable environments.
The firm wishes to capitalize on its competence.

4. Strategic Alliances: Often a firm can only be successful in moving into

a new market if it can acquire new resources or competencies. In such
cases, the firms strategy may be to form a strategic alliance with
another firm. It is important to note that a strategic alliance is more
than a joint venture. In case of a joint venture two firms essentially
create a third entity which develops on its own. In a true strategic
alliance two firms collaborate in a far more complete way by exchanging
some key resources to enable both parties to enhance their
performance. Typically, alliances involve exchanges of one or more of
the resources like;
(a)

access to sales and distribution networks;

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(b)

transfers of new product technology; and

(c)

production technology.

5. Consolidation strategies:

Basically, there are three types of

consolidation strategies in marketing, namely:

Retrenchment
Pruning
Divestment

Retrenchment Strategy: Is essentially the opposite of market

development. A firm reduces its commitment to its existing products by
withdrawing from weaker markets. Generally, this strategy is pursued
whom a firm has experienced uneven performance in different markets.
Pruning Occurs when a firm reduces number of products offered in a
market. In effect, pruning is the opposite of product development and
occurs when a firm decides that some market segments are too small or
too costly to continue to serve.
Divestment: Divestment occurs when a firm sells off a part of its business
to another organization. Because this usually means that a firm is taking
itself out of a product line and out of a particular market, divestment is
essentially the opposite of diversification.

b) PRODUCT MIX MARKETING STRATEGY

A product mix strategy is a plan that specifies:
i.

How various products or businesses will be prioritized for the

purpose of allocating scarce resources?
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ii.

What objective will be established for each product or business to

ensure that the total corporate objectives are met?

Concepts of Product Life Cycle

The product life cycle concept plays an important part in the
development of a product mix strategy.

It helps managers to identify the significance of sales trends and to

asses

the changing

nature of competition, costs, and

market

opportunities over time.

2.26 STAGES OF PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE:

1.

Introduction: The product is new to the market, and since there

are no direct competitors buyers must be educated about what
the product does, how it is used, who it is for and where to buy it.

2.

Growth: The product is now more widely known and sales grow
rapidly because new buyers enter the market and perhaps
because buyers find more ways to use the product. Sales growth
stimulates many competitors to enter the market, and the major
marketing task becomes to build market share.

3.

Maturity: Sales growth levels off as nearly all potential buyers

have entered the market, consumer are now knowledgeable about
the alternatives repeat purchasers dominate sales, and product
innovation are restricted to minor improvements. As a result, only
the strongest competitors survive.

It is very difficult for the

weaker firms to obtain distribution and to increase market shares.

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4.

Decline: Sales slowly decline because of changing buyer needs or

because of the introduction of new products, which are sufficiently
different to have their own life cycles.

Limit
Sales

i
Introduction

ii
growth

iii
Maturity

iv
Decline

Time

2.27 DYNAMIC ASPECTS OF MARKETING STRATEGY.

A firm must usually change its strategy over time because the situation
it faces will usually change. The product life cycle provides manager
with guidance as to how the situation changes over time. These
changes will impact both on the choice of the type of strategy and the
selection of marketing programme for implementing the strategy. The
most obvious impact of the product life cycle is the shift from a primary
to a selective demand strategy as the life cycle shifts from introductory
stage to the growth and maturity stages.

As buyers become more knowledgeable about the product category and

as the primary demand gap declines the need for and pay off from
primary demand strategies declines.
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2.28 STRATEGY CHOICES

Jauch and Glueck (1998) broadly classified strategy choice under:
(I)

Stability strategies.

(II)

Expansion strategies.

(III) Retrenchment strategies.

(IV) Combination strategies.
According to these scholars, a stability strategy is a strategy that a firm
pursuer when:
1.

It continues to serve the public in the same product or service,

market, and production sectors as defined in its business
definition, or in very similar sectors

2.

Its main strategic decision focus on incremental improvement of

functional performance.

Stability strategies are implemented by steady as it goes approaches to

decision. Few major functional changes are made in the product or
service line, markets or function. In an effective stability strategy, a
company will concentrate its resources where it presently has or can
rapidly develop a meaningful competitive advantage in the narrowest
possible product market function scope consistent with its resources
and market requirements.

A stability strategy may lead to defensive moves such as taking legal

action or obtaining a patent to reduce competition. Stability usually
involves keeping track of new developments to make sure the strategy
continues to make sense.

Stability approach is not a do nothing

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approach, nor does it mean that goals such as profit growth are
abandoned. The stability strategy can be designed to increase profit
through such approach as improving efficiencies in current operations.
This strategy is typical for firms in a mature stage of development, or
mature product market evolution.

Frequently, firms will segment

markets or pursuer product differentiation and seek to use assets

efficiently.

Kazmi (2002) in agreeing with Jauch and Glueck (1988) described

stability strategies under;

(I)

No change strategy

(II)

Profit strategy

(III)

Pause / proceed with caution strategy

2.29 EXPANSION STRATEGY:

An expansion strategy is a strategy that a firm pursues when:
1.

It serves the public an additional product or service or add

markets or functions to its definition.

2.

It focuses its strategic decisions on major increases in the pace of

activity within its present business definition.

A firm implements this strategy by redefining the business either by

adding to the scope of activity or substantially increasing the efforts of
the current business. Even without a change in mission, many firms
seek pace expansions. The most common approach is as effort to
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increase market share substantially, often accompanied by plant

expansion. This is often referred to as an entrepreneurial strategy
where firms develop and introduce new products and market or
penetrate markets to build share. Small firms are often in the
emergence stage of the life cycle or in introduction and growth stages of
product market evolution. High investment is applied, often with
aggressive risk taking to finance new resources. Expansion is usually
thought of as the way to improve performance.

Kazmi (2002) stated that as economy is growing, burgeoning markets,

grow rapidly customers seeking new ways of need satisfaction, and
emerging technologies offer ample opportunities for companys to seek
expansion strategies under:
i.

Expansion through concentration

ii.

Expansion through integration

iii.

Expansion through diversification

iv.

Expansion through cooperation

v.

Expansion through internationalization

2.30 RETRENCHMENT STRATEGY

Jauch and Glueck (1988) described retrenchment strategy as when a
firm:
i.

Sees the desirability of or necessary for reducing its product or

service lies, market or functions; and

ii.

Focuses its strategic decisions on functional improvement through

the reduction of activities in units with negative cash flows.
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A firm can redefine its business by divesting itself of a major product

line or an SBU, or by abandoning some market territories. A firm could
also reduce its functions. Retrenchment alone is probably the least
frequently used generic strategy. Yet the mid1980s witnessed huge
write offs because of over capacity, obsolescence, failed strategies, and
long term structural change in some basic industries. Retrenchment is
frequently used during the decline stage of a business when it is
considered possible to restore profitability. Kazim (2002) stated that
retrenchment strategy is followed when an organization aims at
contracting its activities through substantial reduction or the elimination
of the scope of one or more of its business, in terms of their respective
or alternative technologies either singly or jointly in order to improve its
overall performance. he went further to say that retrenchment involves
a total or partial withdrawal from either a customer group, customer
function or the use of an alternative technology in one or more of a
firms businesses.

2.31 COMBINATION STRATEGY

A combination strategy is a strategy that a firm pursues when
1.

Its main strategic decisions focus on the conscious use of several

grand strategies (stability, expansion, retrenchment) at the same
in several SBUs of the economy.

2.

It plans to use several grand strategies at different future time.

With combination strategies, the decision makers consciously
apply several grand strategies to different parts of the firm or to
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different future periods. The logical possibilities for a simultaneous

approach are stability in some areas, expansion in others. Stability
in some areas retrenchment in others; retrenchment in some
areas, expansion in others, and all three strategies in different
areas of the company. In a nutshell, combination strategy is
followed when an organization adopts a mixture of stability,
expansion, and retrenchment either at the same time at its
different businesses, or at different times in the same business
with the aim of improving its performance.

If the number of alternative is relatively small, then the outcomes can

be compared with each other, either all at once and then picking the
best or two of a time, comparing the two and discarding the inferior
alternative and the better one of the two is compared with the next one
and the inferior alternative discarded and so on until all outcomes have
been compared and the best one identified.

However, if the number of alternatives is large, then some mathematical

tools such as linear programming and deterministic inventory are
available to identify the best alternative.

Luftman et al (1992) in their contribution stated that many strategies

can be adopted during a companys recovery period. These strategies
include:
- Organizational changes
- Finance and financial strategies
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- Cost reduction strategies

- Revenue generating strategies
ORGANISATIONAL CHANGES:
In many turnaround situations, a key feature of the recovery is the
appointment of a new Chief Executive or other changes in the senior
managements of the company. In some case the new CEO may be a
companys director who is a person with skills that can affect a return to
profitability. As well as making appropriate strategic decisions, such new
appointment needs to change the working environment within the
company. These can be achieved by focusing on the ability and
innovation of senior staff. Early decisions should be made on which
staff, if any need to be replaced and incentives need to be introduced in
order to achieve given objectives. Also, a new chief executive may need
to change the morale of the work force. If the business has been in
decline for some time and if this has now reached crises level, morale is
likely to be low. The new CEO needs to convince both managements
and work force that, with appropriate new strategies, the crises can be
overcome.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
Theory suggests that it may be necessary to institute some changes
with respects to different business units (such as grouping of several
units into one division). Many Nigerian companies especially banks have
an overseas division, which is basically product or technology based
and in which the overseas companies render the same services as the
Nigerian counterpart.
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COST-REDUCTION STRATEGIES:
Luftman et al (1992) argues that in severe situations, cost reduction
strategies are often implemented at an early stage, as that may have
almost immediate effect. The managements need to examine the key
areas and attend to those areas in the first instance. In many companies
the key cost element is labour; that is; wages and salaries. An
immediate effect can be achieved by banning overtime and stopping
new recruitment. In the longer term, it may be necessary to reduce the
size of the labour force. This can be achieved through natural wastage,
early retirement, voluntary redundancy or, if necessary, compulsory
redundancy.

The severity of the crises will determine speed with which the shedding
of labour will need to be effected. In some businesses the materials
used in production can constitute a major cost factor. This is evident
where the a high- cost raw material is used, for instance gold, or where
a very large volume of a raw is used such as in the generation of
electricity. A reduction in this cost may be achieved through seeking
new sources of supply or by a redesign of the products which would
seek to reduce the volume of material. It might also be possible to use
an alternative material.

Cost reduction may be achieved in divisions and departments. Regular

targets are those activities which do not have much impact on turnover
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in the short term. Depending on the nature of the business, these would
include market research and developments.

ASSET REDUCTION STRATEGIES:

The impact of asset-reduction strategies is not often apparent in the
short term. The policy that is likely to have the biggest impact in this
category is the divestment of a division or complete operating unit to
another company as an operating business. In many crises situations
loss making subsidiaries are sold and these has the immediate effect of
stemming the outflow of funds and of raising revenue. However, the
disadvantages are that the subsidiaries are unlikely to be sold at
anything more than asset value and, considering the cost, perhaps at
considerably less than asset value. Selling a successful division has the
merit of securing the higher price and thus increasing the current cash
flow, but in the long-run, the associated profits will be lost and the sold
company might have provided a basis for long term recovery.

Revenue generating strategies:

According to Luftman (1992)

revenue generating strategies are usually those which take the longest
time to have a significant impact on profitability, because most
frequently this is the part of the business which is the crux of the
problem and will be most difficult to turnaround and also because
expenditure is often required before extra income can be generated.
Some immediate effects may result from a sharp impetus to the selling
function, which would be achieved through increasing incentives to
salesmen and small alterations to the product. However, a long-term
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marketing, as a process requires time for information gathering,

decision making, manufacturing a new or modified products, and the
preparation and implementation of a sales campaign.

2.32 STRATEGY AND GAMES THEORY:

John Von Neuman and Oskar Morgenstern ( ) develop this theory; game
theory is used to determine the optimum strategy in a competitive
situation. It involves situations in which there is a conflict of interest.
That is where the goals of an individual or of an organization are in
conflict with the goals of other individuals and organizations. The
competitive situation may involve introduction of a new product,
possible effects of a price increase, and possible responses of a new
advertising campaign. In all these situations, the managers job is to
choose the best strategy available taking into account the possible
actions and reactions of the competitors.

Games Theory deals with decisions under conflict, and the objective is
to determine the rules of rational behavior of players in which each
player is trying to outsmart his opponent in a logical and optimum
manner. It is based upon the premise that the player in the game is a
rational and logical being who seeks to maximize his gain and minimize
his loss, realizing that his opponent will be similarly motivated.

Basically, there are two kinds of games, first is known as zero-sum

game in which whatever one player wins, another or others must lose. A
typical example is the game of poker; most common is the two-person
129

zero-sum game. The second type is the non zero-sum game, in which all
pay-offs may not add up to zero. Additionally, zero-sum games
automatically become a non-zero sum game if the gains and losses are
measured in utility rather than quantified units.

By and large most

games that have established application in terms of game theory model

are two person zero-sum games.

Basic assumptions of two-person zero-sum games are:

1.

Each player is a rational and logical player

2.

Each players objective function is to maximize his gains and

minimize his losses

3.

There are a finite number of possible strategies available to each

player.

4.

The outcomes of all courses of action are fixed and known in

advance

5.

There is no direct communication between the players.

6.

All information relevant to the competitive situation is known to

both players

The games theory provides some useful insights into competitive

situation, even though there have been very few successful applications.
The difficulty of application is compounded because the competitive
situations and relationship are dynamic and constantly fluctuating. Most
often, a change in one variable jets off a chain reaction of changes in
other variables. For instance, a price cut in a product by one

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organization may triggers a bigger price cut by the competitor, thus

affecting many other variables that are relevant to the product.

Accordingly, it is imperative that the management be able to predict

with reasonable degree of accuracy, how the competitors would respond
but also what would be the competitors initial action and strategy. The
military planners in training and decision-making have used Game
Theory extensively. But it is not widely used in business problem due to
many fast changing variables and difficulty in accurately assessing the
competitors response.

2.33 STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL

Various authors have described implementation theories in different
perspectives. According to Kazmi (2002), structural implementation
deals with a major aspect of implementation, that is, the organization
structure. A whole branch of knowledge which spans several disciplines
is related to the study of organizations. Structural implementation
explains the ethical inter-relationship that exists between strategy and
structure.

An organization structure is the way in which the task and sub-tasks

required to implement a strategy are arranged. The diagrammatical
representation of structure could be an organization chart but a chart
shows only the skeleton. The flesh and blood that bring to life an
organization are the several mechanisms that support the structure. All
these cannot be depicted on a chart. But a strategist has to grapple with
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complexities of creating the structure, making it work, redesigning when

required, and implementing changes that will keep the structure
relevant to the needs of the strategies that have to be implemented.

Kazmi (2002) in an attempt to explain structural mechanism stated that

implementation of strategies would require the performance of tasks.
Some of those tasks activating strategies are related to the formulation
and implementation of programmes and projects. Having laid the
foundations of an organization, the strategist would have to devote their
attention to the tasks that would have to be performed on a continuing
basis for the implementations of strategies. It would be practically
impossible to list such tasks; thus, the strategists would attempt to
enumerate the major tasks.

These major tasks would have to be grouped on the basis of

commonality of the skills required to perform them. Having grouped the
major tasks, each category of such tasks will have to be again broken
down on the basis of the ability of an individual to perform a unit of
tasks. This is the process by which organizational units such as:
departments are created and hierarchies defined. The total responsibility
to implement strategies has to be subdivided and distributed to different
organizational units. The authority to discharge the responsibilities will
also have to be delegated if the tasks have to be performed. To endure
that different organizational units do not work at cross-purpose,
coordination will have to be ensured through communication. The
performance must to be appraised and controlled so that the tasks are
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performed in a sequence and according to a schedule. Desirable

behavior to perform these tasks will have to be encouraged and
undesirable behavior curbs. For this, rewards and penalties will have to
be used since the performance of task cannot be left to chance; the
creation of motivation must to be facilitated so that organizational effort
is directed towards a common purpose. Individuals must also to be
trained so that objective-achieving capability is created and sustained.
The new organization that has been adopted will come into being and
start functioning as structured. To derive the above mechanisms, he
adopted the following steps. These are:

1.

Defining the major tasks required to implement a strategy.

2.

Grouping tasks on the basis of common skills requirements.

3.

Subdivision of responsibilities and delegation of authority to

perform tasks.

4.

Coordination of divided responsibilities.

5.

Design and administration of the information system.

6.

Design and administration of the control system.

7.

Design and administration of the appraising system.

8.

Design and administration of the motivation system.

9.

Design and administration of the development system.

10.

Design and administration of the planning system.

The first four of these mechanisms will lead to the creation of the
structure. The other six mechanisms are designed to hold and sustain
the structure. Collectively, we would refer to the six mechanisms as
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organizational systems. The structural mechanism alone will not fulfill

the requirements of strategy implementation. Structure is the hardware
while the other aspects constitute the software of structural
implementation. The other major aspects of implementation relate to
the leadership style, corporate culture and other related issues

2.34 STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK

Implementation involves a number of interrelated choices and activities. The
resources of the enterprise must be allocated to reinforce choice, and the
organization of the SBUs and in key leadership positions to see that the strategy
will work. The functional strategies and short and medium range policies must
be developed such that they are consistent with the strategic choice. And some
systems are needed to link strategies with plans for implementation; otherwise,
the strategy that has been chosen will never see the light of the day. Success in
business strategy is a function of sound implementation framework.

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Loewen J. (1997), Hill and Jones (1988) Jauch and Glueck (1998)
believe that implementation is necessary to spell out more precisely how
the strategic choice will come to be. Structural administrative
mechanisms which are compatible and workable need to be established
to reinforce the strategic direction chosen and provide guides for action.
A good strategy without effective implementation is not likely to
succeed. Closing the gap between ideal and expected outcomes requires
more than making a strategic choice. Mckinsey seven- s frame work
includes the following:
1.

Strategy: A coherent set of action aimed at gaining a sustainable

advantage

over

competition,

improving

position

vis--vis

customers, or allocating resources.

2.

Structure: The organizational chart and accompanying baggage

that show who reports to whom and how tasks are both divided
up and integrated.

3.

Systems:

The processes and flows that show how an

organization gets things done. Information systems, capital

budgeting systems, and performance measurement systems all
would be good examples.
4.

Style:

Tangible

evidence

of

what

management

considers

important by the way it collectively spends time and attention and

uses symbolic behavior .It is not what management says that is
important; it is the way management behaves.

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5.

Staff: The people in an organization. Here it is very useful to think

not

about

individual

personalities

but

about

corporate

demographics.
6.

Shared Values (or super-ordinate goals). The values that go

beyond, but might well include simple goal statement in
determining corporate destiny. To fit the concept, these values
must be shared by most people in an organization.

7.

Skills: A derivative of the rest. Skills are those capabilities that are
possessed by an organization as a whole as opposed to the
people in it

2.35 STRATEGIC CONTROL AND EVALUATION

Dress and Miller (1993) stated that effectiveness in strategy formulation
does not necessarily lead to high organizational performance. The
failure to achieve objectives may be the result of implementation
problems. Such problems often reflect shortcomings in a firms control
system. The traditional approach to strategic control relies primarily on
feed back control. A more contemporary approach stresses the
importance of feed forward control.

THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO STRATEGIC CONTROL

Traditional approaches to control stress review and feed back of
performance to determine if plans and objectives are being achieved.
This information is used to solve problems or take corrective actions.
The approach sees strategic management as a sequential process of

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strategy formulation, strategy implementation, strategy evaluation, with

little interaction among the major phases.
Strategy
formulation

Strategy
Implementation

Strategy
Evaluation (Feed
back control)

Source: Dress(1980)
The feedback approach to control may be appropriate for operational,
day to day activities or for firms competing in highly stable industries.
However, when managers must control and evaluate long-term
strategies, the limitation of relying primarily on feedback control become
quite evident. Feedback control requires waiting for a strategy to be
implemented before obtaining information on how well it is performing.
Long term strategies typically require the commitment of substantial
human and financial resources and have long-term time horizons. This
delays the possibility of corrective action and changing strategic
direction for as much as several years. During this time, a firm may
experience the loss of a key customer, competitor may introduce a new
product that targets the same customer group, or key executives and
technical personnel may leave the firm.

Clearly, organizations must remain flexible and adapt to important

changes both inside the firm and in its external environment.
Increasing, overly sophisticated formalized planning processes may
become dysfunctional.
137

2.36 CONTEMPORARY APPROACH TO STRATEGIC CONTROL.

This involves a proactive approach to strategic control that is more
future-oriented, utilizes state of the art technology and executive
information systems, and overcomes inherent barrier to control in
traditions/control systems through use of a feed forward approach. This
future oriented approach helps anticipate important changes and
trends. There are three forms of feed forward control: premise control,
strategic surveillance, and implementation control.

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Premise control:
In the strategy formulation process, the development of premises
(assumptions) is an important early step that provides a basis for
developing strategies. Premises may include any number of factors that
are deemed important in both the industry environment and the general
environment. Premise control requires systematic and continuous
monitoring of important environmental factors to determine if previously
agreed upon planning premises remain vital. Major charges in premise
may call for a change in strategy.

Premise control is conducted by

specialist within the organization or by outside consultants, and must

avoid accumulation of excessive amounts of data which would lead to a
case of information overload and sabotage the value of the process.
Effort must be directed at key success premises. Premise control is a
focused and highly selective type of control.

STRATEGIC SURVEILLANCE
Strategic Surveillance is less focused and more flexible than premise
control. Instead of continually monitoring a few key predetermined
indicators as in premise control, strategic surveillance is much broader.
Its goal is to identify previously undetected critical events before they
become either missed opportunities or serious threats.

Strategic surveillance is designed to monitor internal and external events

that not only may threaten the course of a firms strategy but also may
provide opportunities. An approach that may be useful for systematically
assessing internal factors is the use of strengths and weaknesses
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analysis. To conduct strategic surveillance, a team of managers from

various functional areas within the firm might be charged with the task
of determining briefs lists of key strengths upon which the company
should base its future, and weaknesses that must be avoided. Such lists
should be continually assessed, not only to determine how a firm
measures on the key factors but also determine if the list needs to be
modified on to suit changes in competitive condition.

A representative list of trends that could have an important effect on

critical success factors of a firm would include.

Positive:
Development of process engineering techniques leading to significant
reductions in unit variable costs.
Unanticipated success in hiring key research and development
personnel
Defect per unit of output below anticipated levels
Application of a technological innovation across multiple divisions
within the company.

Negative Effects
Turnover/resignation of key executive or technical personnel,
Decline in morals/morale,
Unanticipated delays in major plant completion,
Decline in customer perceptions of product quality.

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The strategic surveillance of external factors can be accomplished

through environmental scanning. This type of surveillance is analogous
to radar screen which continually scan the environment for new images.
As with the process of premise control, the environment may be broken
down into segments of both the general environment and the industry
environment. Selected environmental sectors are further subdivided into
Clusters of variables which represent various aspects of that particular
dimension Economic segment of the general environment may include
interest

rates,

inflation

rates,

business

cycles,

income

Events,

employment trends, money supply.

Important external environmental events that may need to be scanned

in the course of strategic surveillance are:
1.

Growth of the government as a customer,

2.

Growth of the service sector.

Implementation control:
Two important components of implementation control are operation
control and strategic implementation control.

Operations Control:
Operations control is concerned with whether or not a firms strategy is
being implemented as planned. It addresses such questions as:
Are short-term profit, growth and efficiency objective being attained?
Are resources being allocated properly?
Is the firm within budget and on schedule?
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Data for operation control such as productivity, cash flow, budget

variances, and so on, are generally derived from typical accounting and
financial exports.

Strategic Implementation Control

Strategic implementation control is concerned with a much broader
question. Should the firms overall strategy be changed in light of
unfolding events and trends? If deviations from plans are observed, it
does not automatically signal a crises or failure. Implementation control
involves more than the determination of whether or not short term
objectives are attained It looks at results within the broader context of
ongoing events and trends in both the internal and external
environment. The evaluation and assessment may reveal that a strategy
continues to be successful.

Some of the more important issues involved in effective implementation

control are:
1. Reviewing the suitability of strategies and objectives, given important
changes in the external environment.
2. Ensuring that efforts to attain targeted levels of performance do not
lead to dysfunctional managerial behaviour.
3. Monitoring the achievement of desired levels of performance in financial
terms.
4. Preparing action plans to deal with deviations of actual performance
from targeted levels.

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5. Installing and maintaining appropriate reward and information systems

that best support strategy implementation.

Effective implementation control requires that appropriate mechanisms are

in place to ensure compliance with the companys ethical standards.

Effective Implementation: The importance of Budget systems:

A firms budget is often viewed as a road map against which a companys
actual revenues and expenditures are assessed. The map allows a firm a
certain degree of control by focusing attention on areas of concern so that
necessary corrective actions can be undertaken. There are compelling
reasons for predicting future levels of income, expenses, and cash flows,
when used effectively, budgets should reduce unnecessary spending and
lead to profits.

A firms budget is an important tool in implementing its strategy. Managers

must develop their budgets in a manner that is consistent with the
companys overall strategy.

Budgets provide managers with the coordination and control necessary to

attain their goals. Additionally, the budget provides a benchmark against
which a companys performance can be evaluated when variation between
actual performance arise. Managers may remedy the situation by
addressing the issue responsible for the lower-than expected performance,
or in some cases, by changing the budget itself to reflect unanticipated
changes in the internal or external environment.
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Special alert control:

Kazim (2002), stated that special alert control is based on a trigger
mechanism for rapid response and immediate reassessment of strategy in
the light of sudden and unexpected events. Special alert control can be
exercised through the formulation of contingency strategies and assigning
the responsibility of handling unforeseen events to crises management
teams. Examples of such events can be sudden fall of a government at the
central or state level; instant change in a competitors posture, an
unfortunate industrial disaster, or a natural catastrophe.

Crises are critical situations that occur unexpectedly and threaten the
course of a strategy. Organizations that hope for the best and prepare for
the worst are in a vantage position to handle any crises. Crises
management

follows

certain

steps,

such

as,

signal

detection,

preparation/prevention, containment/damage limitation, and recovery

leading to organizational learning. The first step of signal detection can be
performed by special of alert control systems.

The basic theme of strategic control is to continually asses the changing

environment to uncover events that may significantly affect the course of
an organizations strategy.

Barrier to Strategic Control

According to Dress and Miller (1993) there are three basic barriers to
strategic control. These are systematic Barriers, Behavioral Barriers and
political Barriers.
144

a) Systemic Barriers: Systemic Barrier originates from limitations in the

design of the control system or a firms inability to manage the system once
it is implemented. One major systemic barrier is the difficulty of comparing
performance results across businesses. It is difficult to isolate a standard
against which to control performance. For example, against what standard
can the ROI (Return on investment) achieved in a particular business be
judged? How can firms know if a specific ROI is good or bad? Such
problems may be lessened if top management has a fundamental
knowledge of each of the firms business. However as a firms product
market scope becomes diverse, the corporate office may become too for
removed from the individual businesses to exercise effective control.

Another systemic barrier is excessive amounts of paper work that may

actually slowdown the firms ability to react quickly to important
environmental changes. In this situation, the information provided to
operating executives and cooperate office may lose relevance and lead to
unreliable

forecasts,

and

excessive

amounts

of

information

misinterpretation.

A final systemic problem is the conflict between strategic objectives passed

down from the corporate office and short term objectives at the business
level. For example, when an oil company shut down, one of its Nigerian
refineries. However, this was inconsistent with the corporate offices goal
of reducing manpower for both.

145

Such inconsistencies may reflect insufficient coordination among the

multiple hierarchical levels within firm; thus, more formal mechanisms may
be necessary to review objectives and goals to ensure needed integration.
This problem may be exacerbated within highly diversified firms where the
corporate office is far removed from the individual businesses.

Political Barriers: A primary goal of the strategic management process is

to generate a sufficiently broad agreement on the organizations overall
strategy. The strategy must be politically acceptable to the various power
groups and conditions within the organization. Conflicts may arise when
there are changes in the relative power among the coalitions or groups
within an organization. This can lead to a reluctance to share information
or collaborate in a constructive manner. For example, if a planning units
influence or power within an organization increases, the controllers office
may feel that some of the planning units gain has come at its expense.
This feeling is accentuated when the planning units is relatively new.
Planners often focus on making sure that accountants resent the power of
the new planning group. Furthermore, controllers may be poor quantitative
analysts. On the other hand, planners may complain that the controllers
are too quantitatively oriented and therefore, fail to take a longer-term
strategic perspective.

A clear delineation of responsibilities may help reduce conflicts. The roles

and responsibilities of the planning and control units must be defined on
the basis of how they relate to the long-term success of the firm. This
often involves a good deal of negotiation and discussion. A common
146

approach is to have both the planning and control functions report to the
same senior staff executive.

Another key political barrier to effective strategic control systems is the

unwillingness of lower level managers to pass information up the
hierarchy to top management. Trust throughout an organization, is an
indispensable

feature

of

effective

control

system;

job

insecurity,

scapegoating, or the categorization of line executives as winners or

loser are all factors that can undermine control systems.

c) Behavioural Barriers: Behavioural Barriers often have their underlying

cause in a managers tendency to address issues from a limited or
biased perspective because of differences in their background,
education and training. For example, executives may have invested a
great deal of time in a particular product and are therefore unable to
examine critically it life cycle position. For example, executives who have
managed a cash cow for 10 years might still prefer to think of it as a
growth business. This attitude is sometimes seen in managers who want
to revive a business that should gradually die. Such vested interests
may restrict a clear, objective perspective and adversely affect the
usefulness of strategic control.

An executive who has sponsored a particular strategy or project may

screen out negative performance information, unintentionally sabotaging
the control system.

147

Such executives are usually not deliberately trying to recast the date,
rather, they simply cannot see the information signals objectively. Such
entrapment makes it difficult for the executives to respond, or even
comprehend, the information signals that the strategic control system is
providing.

Difficulties associated with abandoning familiar thought patterns and

acquired behaviors are another important behavioral barrier. In some
industry, the external environment is critical and difficult to assess. There is
frequently a strong tendency to gain confidence by studying past successes
instead of looking forward. The future may appear to be too uncertain.
Although such familiar patterns of thought may be quite reassuring they
serve to restrict ones ability to critically reassess current events and new
trends.

One of the steps to reduce behavioural barriers is instilling a greater

avarices of such, problem. Another one is making the overall strategic
control process more explicit. Dress and Miller (1993) numerated the
following as the issues to be addressed:

What environmental variables need to be monitored?

Who is to monitor what and how often?
What are our critical assumptions?
How can line staff personnel effectively interact in a timely manner?

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Strategy Evaluation
Thompson

(1995)

categorized

strategy

evaluation

criteria

into

appropriateness, feasibility and desirability.

1.

Appropriateness:

Does the proposal fit and strengthen the existing portfolio of

activities.
Is it compatible with the mission of the organization?
Does it address any targeted opportunities, or help redress any
critical weaknesses?
What impact would the change have on E-V-R congruence?
Is this an opportunity for stretching our resources and exploiting our
core competencies.
Does it imply diversification?

2.

Feasibility: Can we implement the strategic change successfully,

and without any detrimental impart upon our existing products, services
and markets?
Do we have the required skills and competencies, or must we
develop new ones? And is this feasible in the timescale available to
us?
Is there an opportunity for us to create completive advantage?

3)

Desirability:

Does the option truly help to close the planning gap?

Are we comfortable with the risks?
Is this a justifiable use of any spare resources
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 Is there any potential synergy we can exploit?

Which stakeholder needs will be addressed and satisfied?

These tests can be applied to any change opportunities either formally

and objectively, or informally. The ideas are also useful for considering
the suitability and value of existing business, products and services.

2.37KEY STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT VARIABLES

A lot of variables influence strategic management. These include:
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE:
The

correlation

between

corporate

governance

and

strategic

management cannot be over emphasized; Cherunilan (2004) stated that

corporate governance is concerned with the values, vision and visibility.
It is about the value orientation of the organization, ethical norms for its
performance, the direction of development and social accomplishment
of the organization and the visibility of its performance and practices.
Corporate management is concerned with the efficiency of the resource
use, value addition and wealth creation within the broad parameters of
the corporate philosophy established by corporate governance. In other
words, the concept of good corporate governance connotes that ethics
is as important as economics, fair play as crucial as financial success,
morals as vital as market share.

Corporate governance can also mean that long term strategic objectives
and plan are established and that the proper management structure
(organization, system and people) is in place to achieve those
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objectives, while at the same time making sure that the structure
functions to maintain the corporations integrity, reputation and
responsibility to its various constituents.

2.38 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE FAILURES

In the UK, USA and Nigeria, deficiencies in the accounting standards
became more evident after many companies, in their eagerness to
increase earnings and accelerate growth, exploited the weaknesses in
the accounting standards to show inflated profits and understate
liabilities. While companies grow phenomenally, accounting standards
went haywire. The tendency to combine the roles of Chairman and Chief
Executive in one person and Board Structures that was not conducive
make matters very undesirable. In UK, the resultant failure of several
companies raised serious concerns regarding corporate governance and
this eventually led to appointment of the Sir Adrain Cadbury committees
on corporate governance by the London Stock Exchange and the
Financial Reporting Council in Britain in 1991. Several other notable
report and codes on the subject were also published internationally, like
the report of the Greenbury committee, the combined code of the
London Stock Exchange, the OECD code on corporate governance and
the Blue Ribbon Committee on corporate governance in the USA.

Cherunilan (2004) stated further that there is an increasing concern

about standards of financial reporting and accountability, especially after
losses suffered by investors and lenders, which could have been avoided
with better and more transparent reporting practices. Investors suffer
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on account of unscrupulous management of the companies, which have

raised capital from the market of high valuations of securities and have
performed much worse than the past reported figures, let alone the
future projections.

There were also many companies which are not paying adequate
attention to the basic procedures for shareholders service; for example
many of these companies do not pay adequate attention to redress
investors grievances such as delay in the transfer of shares, delay in
dispatch of share certificates and dividend warrants. Companies also do
not pay sufficient attention to timely dissemination of information to
investors, and also to the quality of such information. Corporate
governance is therefore considered as important instrument for
investors protection and strategy

2.39 IMPORTANCE OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Silva committee report highlighted the significance and the need for
good corporate governance. The concept of corporate governance is no
longer confined to the halls of academic and is increasingly gaining
acceptance for its relevance and underlying importance in the industry.
Capital markets focus on corporate governance and related issues is an
inevitable outcome of a process, which leads firms to increasingly shift
to financial crises. In emerging markets this has led to renewed
discussions and inevitably focused them on the lack of corporate
severance as well as governmental oversight. The same applies to

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recent high profile financial reporting failures even among firms in the
developed economies.

Strong corporate governance is thus indispensable to a resilient and

vibrant business strategy. It is the blood that fills the veins of
transparent corporate disclosure and high quality accounting practices.
It is also the muscle that moves a viable and accessible financial
reporting structure. Theory suggest that without financial reporting
premised on sound, honest numbers business strategy will collapse

Good

corporate

management.

governance is

Without

sound

prerequisite

for

sound

corporate governance,

strategic

analysis

of

companies for good strategy will be based on false premise.

2.40 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

William et al (2002) described corporate social responsibility as the
concern businesses have for the welfare of society. The social
performance

of

company

has

several

dimensions.

Corporate

philanthropy includes charitable donations to non-profit groups of all

kinds. Strategic philanthropy involves companies making long-term
commitments to one cause. Corporate responsibility includes everything
from hiring minority workers to making safe products, minimizing
pollution, using energy wisely, and providing a safe work environment.
Corporate policy refers to the position a firm takes on social and political
issues.

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Nickel (2002) broadly classified social responsibility as:

(I).

Responsibility to customers

By this it means firms have responsibility to satisfy customers by

offering them goods and services of real value. This responsibility is not
easy to meet, as it seems. Theory suggests that three out of five new
businesses fail, perhaps because their owners failed to please their
customers. One of the surest ways of failing to please customers is not
being totally honest with them. The payoff of socially conscious behavior
could result in new business as customers switch from rival companies
simply because they admire the companys social effort a powerful
competitive edge. Customer behavior shows that, all things being equal,
a socially conscious company is likely to be viewed more favorably than
less socially responsible companies. The important point to remember is
that customers prefer to do business with companies they trust, and
even more importantly, do not want to do business with companies they
dont trust.
(II) Responsibility to investors
According to Milton Friedman ( ) corporate social responsibility means
making money for stockholders. Ethical behaviors are good for
shareholders wealth. Those cheated by financial wrongdoings are the
shareholders themselves.
Some people believe that before you can do good you must do well,
others believe that by doing good, you can also do well.
Many people believe that it makes financial as well as moral sense to
invest in companies that are planning ahead to create a better
environment. By choosing to put their money into companies whose
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goods and services benefit the community and the environment,

investors can improve their own financial health while improving
societys health.
(III)

Responsibility to employee

Businesses have several responsibilities to employees. First they have a

responsibility to create jobs. Once a company creates jobs, it has an
obligation to see to it that hardwork and talent are fairly rewarded.
Employees need realistic hope of a better future, which covers only
though, a chance for upward mobility. People need to see that integrity,
hard work, good will, ingenuity, and talent pay off. Studies have shown
that the factor that most influence a companys effectiveness and
financial performance is human resource management. If a company
treats employee with respect, they will respect the company as well.
When employees feel they have been treated unfairly, they strike back.
Not many disgruntled workers are desperate enough to resort to the
violence in the workplace, but a great number do relieve their
frustrations in a subtle ways, such as blaming mistakes on others,
manipulating budgets and expenses, doing the minimum needed to get
by, and making result look better than they are. The loss of employee
commitment, confidence and trust in the company and its management
can be very costly indeed.
(IV)

Responsibility to society

One of businesss major responsibilities is to create new wealth. Record

shows that a third of working Americans receive. Their salaries from
non-profit organizations that in-turn receive their funding from others,
who in turn receive their money from business. Foundations, universities
155

and other nonprofit organization own billions of shares in publicly hated

companies. As those stock prices increase, more funds are available to
benefit society.

Many companies believe that business has a role in building a

community that goes beyond giving back. To them, charity is not
enough. Their social contributions include clearing up the environment,
building community toilets, providing computer lessons and supporting
the elderly and children from low income families.

2.41 LEADERSHIP
Cole (2000) defined leadership as a dynamic process at work in group
whereby one individual, over a particular organization context,
influences the other group members to commit themselves freely to
achievement of group task or goals.

Stoner (2000) defined leadership as the process of directing and

influencing the task-related activities of group members. Koontz and O.
Donnell (1976) in their contribution defined leadership as the ability of
the manager to induce subordinate (followers) to work with confidence
and zeal.
In a nutshell, Hooper and Potter (2000) stated that leadership is all
about:
1. Establishing direction, developing a vision of the future, often the
distant future, and strategies for producing the changes to achieve
that vision.
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2. Aligning people-communicating the direction by words and deeds to

all those whose co-operation may be needed so as to influence the
creation of teams and coalition that understand the vision and
strategies and accept their validity.
3. Motivating, inspiring, and energizing people to overcome major
political, bureaucratic and resource barriers to change by satisfying
very basic, but unfilled, Human needs.
4. Producing changes, often to a dramatic degree, and having the
potential of producing extremely useful change (e.g. new products
want, new approaches to staff relations that help the organization to
develop).

2.42 FINANCIAL VARIABLES:

Lawrence Hamil (1998) stated that one of the most important tools for
assessing the strength of an organization within its industry is financial
analysis. Managers, investors and strategist all employ some form of this
analysis as a beginning point for their strategic decision-making.
Investors, strategists use financial analysis in making decision about
whether to engage in certain business decision. They provide managers
with a measurement of how the company is doing (performing) in
comparison with its performance in past years and with the performance
of competitors in the industry.

Although, financial analysis is useful for decision-making, there are

some weaknesses that should be noted. Any picture that it provides of
the company is based on past data. Although trends may be
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noteworthy, this picture should not automatically be assumed to be

applicable to the future. In addition, the analysis is only as good as the
accounting procedures that generated the information. When making
comparisons between companies; one should keep in mind the
variability of accounting procedures from firm to firm.

There are four basic groups of financial ratio: Liquidity, Leverage,

activity and Profitability. Liquidity and leverage ratios represent an
assessment of the risk of the firm. Activity and Profitability ratios are
measures of the returns generated by the firm.

a.

LIQUIDITY RATIOS:

Liquidity ratios are used as indicators of a firms ability to meet its shortterm obligations. These obligations include current liabilities, including
currently maturing long-term debt. Current assets move through a
normal/cash cycle of inventories in sales-accounts receivable-cash. The
firm then uses cash to pay off or reduce its current liabilities. The best
known liquidity ratio is the current ratio: current asset divided by current
liabilities. Most analysts suggest a current ration of 2 to 1. A large
current ratio is not necessary a good sign, it may mean that an
organization is not making the most efficient use of assets. The
optimum current ratio will vary from industry to industry with the more
volatile industries requiring higher ratios.

Since slow moving inventories could over state a firms ability to meet
short-term demands, the quick ratio is sometimes preferred to assess a
158

firms liquidity. The quick ratio is current assets minus inventories

divided by current liabilities. A quick ratio approximately I would be
typical for American industries; although, there is less variability in the
quick ratio than in the current ratio, stable industries would be able to
safely operate with a heavier ratio.

b.

LEVERAGE RATIO:

Leverage ratios identify the source of a firms capital owner or outside

creditors. The term leverage refers to the fact that using capital with a
fixed interest charge will amplify either profits or losses in relation to
capital. The most commonly used leverage ratio is total debt divided by
total assets. Total debt includes current liabilities and long term
liabilities. The ratio is a measure of the percentage of total funds
provided by debt. A total debt to total assets ratio higher than 0.5, is
usually considered safe, only for firms in stable industries.

The ratio of long-term debt to equity is a measure of the extent to

which sources of long term financing are provided by creditors. It is
computed by dividing long term debt by the shareholders equity.

c.

ACTIVITY RATIO:

Activity ratios indicate how effectively a firm is using its resources by

comparing revenue with the resources used to generate them. Using
activity ratios it is possible to establish efficiency of operation. The total
asset turnover is calculated by dividing sales by total assets, industry
figures for asset turnover will vary with capital, and those industries
159

requiring large inventories will have much smaller ratios. Another

activity ratio is Inventory Turnover, estimated by dividing sales by
average inventory. The norm for American industries is 9 times, but
whether the ratio for a particular firm is higher or lower normally
depends upon the product sold.

Since inventories are normally carried at cost, it would be more

accurate to use the cost of goods sold in place of sales as the numerator
of this ratio.

d.

PROFITABILITY RATIOS:

Profitability ratios provide insight into the net result of a large number of
policies and decisions chosen by an organization.

Profitability ratios

indicate how effectively the total firm is being managed. The profit
margin for a firm is calculated by dividing net earnings by sales. There is
no variation among industries, but the average for American firm is
approximately 5 percent.

A second useful ratio for evaluating profitability is the Return On

Investment or ROI, this is determined by dividing net earnings by total
assets. The ratio of net earnings to net worth is a measure of the rate of
return or profitability of stakeholders investment. It is calculated by
dividing net earnings by net worth, the common stock equity and
retained earning account.

160

Financial analysts stated that it is often difficult to determine causes for

lack of profitability. The profit system of financial analysis provides
management with clues to the lack of success of a firm. This financial
tool brings together activity, profitability and leverage measures and
shows how these ratios interact to determine the overall profitability of
the firm.

161

CHAPTER 3
3.0

METHODOLOGY
In a study of this nature different types of statistical techniques can be
used. Some of the popular techniques found in literature include.

3.3 CANONICAL CORRELATION TECHNIQUES

Canonical correlation analysis is a multiple regression technique with K
independent variables and M dependent variables. The basic idea of
canonical correlation is that, through least squares analysis two linear
composites are formed, one for the independent variable Xk and one for
the dependent variable Ym.
The correlation between these two composites is the canonical
correlation Rc. The square of the canonical correlation R2 is an estimate
of the variance shared by the two composites.

Fraser et al (1974) and Arshedi and Lawrence (1987) employed

canonical correlation analysis for the study of firms performance. One
advantage of this method of analysis is that it takes into account the
fact that firms performance is multidimensional, including both
quantitative and qualitative aspects. It can be measured not by any one
variable in isolation but by examination of the joint interaction of several
variables. Although canonical seeks to explain the linear function of
dependent variable by a linear combination of independent variables, it
precludes the explicit calculation of the coefficient (or marginal impacts)
of each of the independent variables.
162

This limitation of canonical correlation techniques constitutes a

significant disadvantage that makes it inferior to other techniques in this
type of study.

3.4

MULTIVARIATE DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS (MDA):

In general, discriminant analysis is a procedure for studying two or more
distinct groups of observation (korobow and Stur, 1975). It involves the
estimation of the parameters of an equation that simultaneously takes
into

account

the

effects

of

variables

considered

important

in

distinguishing between the groups. Once the equation is estimated, it

can be used to classify individual observation in a group by multiplying
the values of the variables in the equation by their respective
coefficients to obtain a discriminant scores for the particular
observation. The discriminant score determines the group into which
the observation is classified.

Altman (1968) first applied MDA in the study of firms performance; later
Adekanye (1993) employed the technique in developing early warning
models for banks failures. However, compared with other techniques
like Logit, the coefficients of a discriminant function cannot be
interpreted as the marginal impacts of the independent variables. They
however, serve as weights whose magnitude only signifies the relative
importance of the associated variable to the discrimination of the groups
concerned.

163

3.3 THE PROBIT TECHNIQUE:

Whereas discriminant analysis seeks to classify numbers of the sample
into two or more groups; the probit model seeks to estimate the
probabilities of membership of a group for a particular reference to the
analysis of business performance. The probit model is able to estimate
the probability that a non sample firm belongs to the performing or nonperforming category.

Like MDA, the probit starts by relating a set of predetermined variables

to dichotomous dependent variables which take on values of 1 if a
company is distressed and 0 otherwise. However, the distributional
assumptions made for the error term distinguishes probit model from
MDA. For a probit model, the cumulative normal distribution is assumed
and the model is specified as
Si
Pi = f(Si) = 1

- S
2

ds

(1)

Where pi is the probability that a company belongs to the nonperforming category and si is theoretical index determined by a set of
explanatory variables.
3.4 THE LOGIT TECHNIQUE:
The difference between Probit and Logit Techniques is in the
distributional assumption about the error term. While the probit
technique assumes cumulative normal distribution, logit technique
164

favours the cumulative l distribution with this assumption. The logit

model is specified as follows.

Pi = F (si) = 1 ..

(2)

(1 esi)
Where Pi and Si are as defined in Probit models.

Probit and logit

analysis are alike because the normal and logistic distribution are
similarly shaped. Indeed, since the two distributions differ primarily in
their extreme tails, clear choice between the two specifications would be
difficult to make. In fact, the choice between probit and logit techniques
has no practical consequences with respect to the analyses or results.
The choice is more of a mathematical convenience.

3.5 LINEAR PROGRAMMING (LP) TECHNIQUE:

Chandan (2002) stated that linear programming is a technique for
specifying how to use limited resources or capacities of a business to
obtain particular objective such as least cost, highest margin or least
time when those resources have alternative uses. It is a technique that
systematizes, on certain conditions, the process of selecting the most
desirable course of action/strategy from a number of available courses
of action, thereby giving management the information for making a
more effective decision about resources under control.

165

3.5.1 BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR LP:

a.

The system under consideration can be described in terms of

series of activities and outcomes. These activities (variables) must
be competing with other variables for limited resources and the
relationship among these variables should be linear and these
variables must be quantifiable.

b.

The outcomes of all activities are known with certainty

c.

A well-defined objective function exists, which can be used to

evaluate different outcomes.

The objective function should be

expressed as a linear function of decision variables. The purpose is

to optimize the objective function. This may be maximization of
profits or minimization of costs.
e.

There must not be a single course of action but a number of

feasible courses of action open to a decision maker, one of which
would give the best results.

f.

All variables must assume non-negative values and are assumed

to be continuous so that fractional values of these variables are
permissible for the purpose of obtaining an optimal solution.

Linear programming as an analytical technique is a highly useful tool

for solving certain types of problems. However, some of the specific
limitations of linear programming are.

i.

The assumption of linearity among variables is generally not valid.

In actual practice, concerning business strategy and industrial
problems, the relationship of the linearity does not exist.
166

This

negates or dilutes the effectiveness of the linear programming

technique.
ii.

The linear programming model does not take into consideration

the effect of time and uncertainly. Most problems are not so clearcut with constant and definitive values of variables or with known
outcomes.

iii.

The assumptions of decision variables being continuous are not

valid.

These variables have discreet values and the fractional

answers are not correct answers. Rounding up the fractions to

the nearest integer would not yield the optimal solution.
iv.

It deals only with single objective and it may not be able to handle
more than one set of conditions at a time. Most problems that are
encountered are multi-objective problems, which the linear
programming (LP) model cannot handle in analyzing data.

3.6

REGRESSION TECHNIQUES.
Studenmund A. H (1997) defined regression analysis as a statistical
technique that attempts to explain movements in one variable, the
dependent variable, as a function of movements in a set of other
variables, called the independent or explanatory variables, through the
quantification of a single equation.
C = F (P, Ps, Yd) ...(1.1)
C is the dependent variable and P, Ps, and Yd are the independent
variables. Regression analysis is a natural tool for researchers because
most research propositions can be stated in such single equation
functional forms. Much of economics and business is concerned with
167

cause and effect proposition.

For instance, if the price of a good

increases by one unit, then the quantity demanded deceased on

average by a certain amount, depending on the price elasticity of
demand. Similarly if the quantity of capital employed increases by one
unit, then output increases by a certain amount, called the marginal
productivity of capital. Propositions such as these, pose an if then or
causal relationship that logically postulates that a dependent variables
movements are causally determined by movements in a number of
specified independent variables.

Many business/economic relationships are caused by their very nature,

and regression result no matter how statistically significant, cannot
prove causality. All regression analysis can do is test whether a
significant quantitative relationship exists.

Judgments as to causality

must also include a healthy dose of business strategy theory and

common sense.

Single equation linear models: the simplest single equation linear

regression model is.
Y = Bo x B1 X

(1.3)

Equation 1.3 states that Y, the dependent variable, is a single equation

linear function of X, the independent variable. The model is a single
equation model because no equation for X as a function of Y (or any
other variable) has been specified. The model is linear because if you
were to plot equation 1.3 on graph paper, it would be a straight line
rather than a curve.
168

The Bs are the coefficient (or parameters) that determine and

coordinated the straight line at any point Bo is the constant or intercept
term; it indicates the value of Y when X equals zero. B1 is the slope
coefficient, and it indicates the amount that Y will change when X
increases by one unit. The solid line in fig. 1.1 illustrates the relationship
between the coefficients and the graphical meaning of the regression
equation.
The slope coefficient, B1, shows the response of Y to a change in X since
being able to explain and predict changes in the dependent variable is
the essential reason for quantifying behavioral relationships. Much of
the emphasis in regression analysis is on slope coefficients such as B1.
For linear (i.e., strength line) regression models, the response in the
predicted value of Y due to a change in X is constant and equal to the
slope coefficient B1.
(Y2 Y1)
(Y2 Y1)

DY

B1

DX

Where D is used to denote a change in the variables for a linear model,

the slope is constant over the entire function. We must distinguish
between an equation that is linear in the variables and one that is linear
in the coefficients (or parameters). This distinction is important because
if linear regression techniques are going to be applied to an equation,
that equation must be linear in the coefficients.

169

An equation is linear in the variables X and Y if it generates a straight

line for example, equation 1.3.
Y = Bo x B1 x

---- (1.3)

Is linear in the variables, but equation (1.4)

Y = Bo x B1 X 2

------

(1.4)

Is not linear in the variable if you are to plot equation 1.4 it would be a
quadratic, not a straight line. An equation is linear in the coefficient (if
Bs) appear in their simplest form they are not raised to any power
(other than one), are not multiplied or divided by other coefficients, and
do not themselves include some sort of function (like logs or
exponents); for example, equation 1.3 linear in the coefficient, but not
in equation 1.5.
Y = B0 x X

B1

----- (1.5)

is not linear in the coefficient Bo and B1. In essence, any sort of

configuration of the Xs and Ys can be used and the equation will
continue to be linear and the Bs will cause the equation to become
nonlinear in the coefficients. While linear regressions need to be linear
in the coefficients, they do not necessarily need to be linear in the
variables. Linear regression analysis can be applied to an equation that
is nonlinear in the variables if the equation can be formulated in a way
that is linear in the coefficients, indeed, when researchers use the
phrase linear regression, they usually mean regression that is linear
in the coefficients
170

The stochastic error term: Besides the variation in the dependent

variable (y) that is caused by the independent variable (x), there is
almost variation that comes from other sources as well. This additional
variation comes in part from omitted explanatory variables (e.g., X2 and
X3). However, even if these extra variables are added to the equation,
there is still going to be some variation in Y that simply cannot be
explained by the model. This variation probably comes from sources
such as omitted influences, measurement error in correct functional
form, or purely random and totally unpredictable occurrences. By
random we mean something that is determined entirely by chance.
Researchers admit the existence of such inherent unexplained variation
(error) by explicitly including a stochastic (or random) error term in
their regression models. A stochastic error term is a term that is added
to a regression equation to introduce all of the variation in Y, that
cannot be explained by the included Xs. It is, in effect, a symbol of the
researchers ignorance or inability to model all the movements of the
dependent variables. Error term (sometimes called a disturbance term)
is usually referred to with the symbol epsilon (E), although other
symbols (like u or v) are sometimes used.
The addition of a stochastic error term (E) to equation 1.3 results in a
typical regression equation/model:
Y = Bo x B1 x + e ----- (1.6)
Equation 1.7 can be thought of as having two components, the
deterministic component. The expression B0 + B1 x is called the
deterministic component of the regression value of Y that is determined
171

by a given value of X, which is assured to be non stochastic.

This

deterministic component can also be thought of as the expected value

of Y given X, the main value of the YS associated with a particular value
of X. The deterministic part of the equation may be written as:
E (Y I X) = BO +BI X
Which states that the expected value of a given X, denoted as
E (Y I X) is a linear function of the independent variable (or variables if
there are more than one ) Unfortunately, the value of Y observed in the
real world is unlikely to be exactly equal to the deterministic expected
value E(Y I X). As a result, the stochastic element ( E ) must be added
to the equation .
Y = E (Y I X) + E = BO + BI X + E(1.7)
The stochastic error term must be present in the regression equation
because there are at least four sources of variation in Y other than the
variation in the included XS
i. Many minor influences on Y are omitted from the equation (for
example, because data are unavailable)
ii. It is virtually impossible to avoid some sort of measurement error in
at least one of the equations variables.
iii. The underlying theoretical equation might have a different functional
form (or shape) than the one chosen for the regression. For
example, the underlying equation might be a linear in the variables
for a linear regression
iv. All attempts to generalize human behavior must contain at least
some amount of unpredictable or purely random variation.
172

To get a better feeling for these components of the stochastic error

term, let assume a consumption function (aggregate consumption as a
function of aggregate disposable income). First, consumption in a
particular year may have been less than it would have been because of
uncertainty over the future course of the economy, causing consumers
to save more and consume less than they would if the uncertainty had
not existed. Since this uncertainty is hard to measure there might be no
variable measuring consumer uncertainty in the equation.

In such a

case, the impact of the omitted variable (consumer uncertainty) would

likely end up in the stochastic error term. Second, the observed amount
of consumption may have been different from the cultural level of
consumption in a particular year due to an error (such as a sampling
error) in the measurement of consumption in the national income
accounts.

Third, the underlying consumption function may be non

linear, but a linear consumption function might be estimated. Forth, the

consumption function attempts to portray the behavior of people, and
there is always an element of unpredictability in human behavior. At
any given time, some random event might increase or decrease
aggregate consumption in a way that might never be repeated and
couldnt be anticipated.

Any or all of these possibilities may explain the existence of a difference

between the observed values of Y and the values expected from the
deterministic component of the equation.

173

3.7 JUSTIFICATION OF REGRESSION TECHNIQUES

For this study, we adopted two methodological techniques: These are
regression and chi square techniques
Regression Analysis as observed has the following advantages
i. It is mathematically convenient to engage relationships between firm
performance and business strategy.
ii. It captures predictive ability of business strategy models.
iii. The results generated by regression are easy to understand and
interpreted.
iv. It has some desirable statistical properties that will enable us engage
in statistical inferences and hypotheses testing.

3.8 CHI SQUARE TECHNIQUE:

Another statistical method adopted in analysing our data to complement
regression technique is chi square approach; chi-square is a non
parametric test of statistical significance for bivariate tabular analysis.
Any appropriately performed test of statistical significance lets you know
the degree of confidence you have in accepting or rejecting a
hypothesis.

3.9

CHI SQUARE BASIC ASSUMPTIONS

1.

The sample must be randomly drawn from the population.

2.

Data must be reported in raw frequencies (not percentages)

3.

Measured variables must be independent

4.

Values/categories on independent and dependent variables must

be mutually exclusive and exhaustive;
174

5.

Observed frequencies cannot be too small.

3.10 COMPUTING CHI SQUARE

Connor-linten Jeff (2006), systemically outlined the standard steps in
computing chi square:

Step I: To determine our threshold of this means, what adds are we

willing to accept that we are wrong in generalising from our results? Are
we willing to take a claim on a 30%, 10% chance and so on, that we
are wrong? The answer depends largely on our research question and
the consequences of being wrong.

The most important thing is to

explicitly motivate our threshold before you perform any test of

statistical significance, to minimize any temptation for post hoe
compromise of scientific standards.

Step 2: To total all rows and columns.

Remember that chi square

operates by comparing the actual, or observed, frequencies in each cell

in the table to the frequencies of expected data to determine if there is
no relationship at all between the two variables in the populations from
which the sample is drawn. In other words, chi square compares what
actually happened to what hypothetically would have happened if all
things were equal. If our actual results are sufficiently different from
the predicted hypothesis results, we can reject the null hypothesis and
claim that a statistically significant relationship exists between our
variables logically, we need to measure the size of the difference
between the paired observed and expected frequencies in each cell
175

more specifically, we calculate the difference between the each cell.

Square their difference and they divide that product by the difference
itself. The formula therefore becomes.
X2 = (O E) 2 / E)
Squaring the difference ensures positive number, so that we end up
with an absolute value of differences. If we didnt work with absolute
values the positive and negative difference across the entire table would
always add up to O.

3.11 INTERPRETING THE CHI SQUARE VALUE.

How do we know if our chi square value is significant or not? What we
need to know is the probability of getting a chi square value of a
minimum given size, even if our variables are not related at all in the
larger population from which our sample was drawn. That means, we
need to know how much larger than O (the absolute chi square value of
the null hypothesis) our tables chi square value must be before we can
confidently reject the null hypothesis. The probability we seek depends
in part on the degree of freedom of the table from which our chi square
value is derived

3.12 TEST OF HYPOTHESES

Our testing of hypotheses will involve:
1. The use of Chi Squares.
X2 = (0 E)2
E

176

2. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient will assist us to

capture the strength of the relationship between variables.
r = NXY - XY
NX2 (X)2 x

NY2 (Y)2

In addition, this study used two tailed test and measures of central
tendency to establish tendencies among the population sample.

3.13

INSTRUMENT USED:
To get a robust data for this research, the researcher employed the use
of both primary and secondary data; the primary data are collected
directly from the field in their original state using the research
questionnaires. This set of data is collected strictly on variables directly
relevant to our research objectives. They are very reliable.

Secondary data on the other hand, were collected from the Nigerian
Stock Exchange (NSE) Kaduna and NSE Fact book.
Both primary and secondary data were acquired through the following
methods.

a.

Reconnaissance: This is a preliminary survey in the study area,

accompanied by observation for familiarization with the nature and
general characteristics of the study, and the ease with which to
collect the required data.

b.

Pilot study: This is a survey involving a pre-test of the survey

instrument, including its validation, and subsequent attempt at
analysis of the characteristics of a sample collected.
177

c.

Field survey: This is the actual and full data collection. This
approach involved the distribution of questionnaires among
selected firms in Kaduna.

3.14 RESEARCH POPULATION AND SAMPLE SIZE

Though it was very difficult to generate primary data from our selected
companies, we made sure we capture up to fifteen (15) private limited
companies. The companies used for our primary data include:
1.

Circular trust limited.

2.

Kaduna Furniture and Carpet Co Ltd.

3.

IBBI Nigeria Ltd, Kaduna.

4.

Power seal Nigeria Ltd.

5.

Lennap Services Ltd.

6.

Chanchangi Airlines Kaduna.

7.

SEEPC Nigeria Ltd.

8.

Avery Nigeria Ltd.

9.

Crittal Hope Nigeria Ltd.

10.

Feedex (Nig) Ltd.

11.

Queens way Aluminum Co Ltd.

12.

Tower Galvanized Product (Nig) Ltd.

13.

Peugeot Assembly Ltd.

14.

Nigerian Engineering work Kaduna.

15.

Datum Construction NIG Ltd.

178

For our secondary data, the following companies were used:

1.

Presco Plc.

2.

UTC Plc.

3.

Zenith Bank Plc.

4.

First Bank of Nigeria Plc.

5.

Neimeth International Plc.

6.

Northern Nigeria Flour Mills, Plc.

7.

IBTC Plc.

8.

Access Bank Plc.

9.

Afriprint Plc.

10.

Diamon Bank Plc.

11.

GTB Plc.

12.

University Press Plc.

13.

Leventis Plc.

14.

Adswitch Plc.

15.

Cement Company Plc.

Using the above data, have generated a robust data for our analysis. It
also aids comparative analysis of our study.
3.15 JUSTIFICATION OF THE SAMPLE SELECTION
Because we used both clustered and simple random sampling
techniques, we were able to overcome sample selection bias.
All the private limited companies selected have a relatively stable
management. Though access to their financial data was not easy to get,
hence we resorted to getting data from fifteen (15) quoted companies.

179

This gave us a total number of thirty (30) companies used for this
study.

180

CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1

INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, the researcher made use of both primary and secondary
data for the analysis. Due to the problem faced in generating secondary
data from private limited companies in Kaduna, I resorted to generating
the data from public limited companies based/branch in Kaduna. From
this secondary data, I picked the key financial performance indicators.
These

indicators

are

companies

Shareholders

Fund,

Gross

Earning/Turnover, Profit After Tax and Profit Before Tax. This financial
data was collected over a Five-year period. I therefore, used this
secondary data to run the trend analysis of the companies financial
performance using Excel software.

I also derived from the secondary data the cross-sectional data over a
Five-year period for the regression analysis. From this, I computed the
multiple regression analysis. The result of this multiple regression gave
me the least square model of the study.

181

4.1 TRENDS ANALYSIS OF SELECTED COMPANIES FINANCIAL

PERFORMANCE
Table 4.1: Guaranty Trust Bank
YEAR

SHF

GE

PAT

PBT

2001

4,026,177

6,840,527

1,503,694 2,050,323

2002

7,949,982

10,898,091 2,140,355 3,107,315

2003

9,238,755

16,050,075 3,211,439 4,144,919

2004

11,617,978 18,053,377 4,056,577 4,833,256

2005

30,894,969 23,833,711 5,330,796 6,527,537

GUARANTY TRUST BANK

80,000,000
60,000,000

PBT

40,000,000

PAT

20,000,000

GE

0
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05

SHF

The table above shows that in 2001 shareholders fund of the company
was N4, 026,177b. In 2002, it increased to N7, 949,982b that was an
increase of 97.45%. In 2003, the companys shareholders fund
increased to N9, 238,755b that produced an increase of 16.21% as
against the previous year. In 2004, the shareholders fund of the
182

company was N11, 617,978b, given a growth rate of 25.75% as against

last year. In 2005, the company experience grows in its shareholders
fund to N30, 894,964b producing a growth rate of 165.92%. The
growth rate of shareholders funds for 2005 was a phenomenal one
because it grew by more than 150%.
From our data, the gross earning of the company was N6, 840,527b in
2001.

In 2002, it increased to N10, 898,091b given an increase of

59.32%. In 2003, the gross earning of the company increased to N16,

050,075b, producing a growth rate of 55.06%. In the year 2004, the
gross earning of the company increased to N18, 053,377b producing a
growth rate of 19.93%. In 2005, the gross earning of the company
increased again to N23, 833,771b producing a growth rate of 32.02%.

The profit after tax as one of the major indicators of the firms
performance was N1, 503,694b in 2001. In 2002, it increased to N2,
140,355b given a growth rate of 42.34%. In 2003,the companys profit
after tax( PAT) became N3, 211,439b representing a percentage growth
of 50.04% .In 2004, PAT of the company increased to N4,056,557b
given a growth rate of 26.32%.In the year 2005, PAT of the company
became N5, 330, 796 given a growth rate of 31.41%.

The Profit Before Tax (PBT) of the company was N2, 050,323b in 2001.
In 2002, it increased to N3, 107,315 given a growth rate of 51.55%. In
2003, PBT of the company increased to N4, 144,919 given a percentage
growth of 33.39%. In 2004, the PBT of the company became N4,
183

833,256 producing a growth rate of 16.61%. In 2005, PBT of the

company became N6, 527,537b given a growth rate of 35.05%.

Table 4.2: First Bank Plc

YEAR

SHF

GE

PAT

PBT

2001

18,170

18,170

5,066

6,715

2002

19,406

19,406

4,776

6,172

2003

27,006

27,006

11,010

14,420

2004

41,605

41,605

11,483

14,853

2005

48,726

48,726

13,234

16,608

FIRST BANK PLC

150,000
PBT
100,000

PAT
GE

50,000

SHF
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

In the table above, the Shareholders Fund (SHF) of First Bank was
N18,170b in 2001. In 2002, it increased to N19, 406b given a growth
rate of 6.8%. In 2003, the Shareholders Fund of the company grew to
N27, 006b producing a percentage growth of 39.16%. In 2004, the
company SHF became N41, 605b producing a growth rate of 54.06%. In
184

2005, SHF of the company increased to N48, 726b representing a

growth rate of 17.53%.

Another indicator of the financial strength or performance of the

company measured was its Gross Earning. In 2001, the Gross Earning
(GE) of the company was N18, 170b. In 2002, it increased to N19, 406b
given a percentage increase of 6.8%. In 2003, the company GE
increased to N27, 006b producing a growth rate of 42.10%.

In 2004 the GE of the company became N41, 605b given a growth rate
of 54.06%. In 2005, GE of the company increased to N48,726b
producing a growth rate of 17.12%.

Another indicator measured was the companys PAT (Profit After Tax).
In 2001, the PAT of the company was N5, 066b. In 2002, it increased
to N4, 776b producing a decrease of 5.7%. In 2003, PAT of the
company increased to N11, 010b, producing a growth

rate of

130.52%.

In 2004, PAT of the company became N11,483b producing a growth

rate of 4% against 2003.

In 2005, PAT of the company became

N13,234b producing a growth rate of 15%.

We also used Profit Before Tax to measure the performance of the

company. In 2001, PBT of the company was N6, 715b. In 2002, it
decreased to N6, 172b producing an decreasing rate of 8%. In 2003,
185

PBT of the company had a dramatic increase to N14,420b producing a

growth rate of 134%. In 2004, PBT of the company became N14,853b
given a percentage growth of 3%. In 2005, PBT of the company
became N16,608b given a growth of 11.82%.

Table 4.3: Diamond Bank Plc

YEAR

SHF

GE

PAT

PBT

2001

4,086,080

6,087,907

1,689,618 2,225,160

2002

5,185,704

7,553,145

1,478,175 1,945,994

2003

4,832,213

6,279,645

134,960

47,233

2004

6,472,698

7,790,163

903,411

1,264,502

2005

20,689,318 12,735,805 2,509,810 3,514,319

DIAMOND BANK PLC

50,000,000
40,000,000

PBT

30,000,000

PAT

20,000,000

GE

10,000,000

SHF

0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

In 2001, the shareholders fund of the company was N4, 086,080b. In

2002, it increased to N5, 185,704b producing a growth rate of 26.81%.
In 2003, the company Shareholders Fund dropped to N4, 832,213b
producing a decreasing rate of 6.8%. In 2004, SHF of the company
186

became N6, 472,698b given a growth rate of 33.95%. In 2005, SHF

again increased to N20, 689,318b producing a growth of 219.64%. This
was a very phenomenal growth, may be due Central Bank of Nigeria
directives that banks should increase their Shareholders Fund to N25b
at the end of 2005.

The Gross Earning (GE) of the company was N6, 087,907b in 2001. In
2002,the companys GE increased to N7, 533,145b producing a growth
23.74%.In 2003, gross earning of the company decreased to
N6,297,645b producing a decreasing rate of 16.64%. In 2004, the
company had a gross earning of N7, 790,163b given a growth rate of
24.05%. In 2005, the Gross Earning became N12, 735,805b given a
growth rate of 63.48%.

Profit After Tax (PAT): In 2001, PAT of the company was N1, 689,618b.
In 2002, it decreased to N1, 478,175b given a drop rate 12.51%. In
2003, PAT of the company became N134, 960m given a big drop of
90.85%. In 2004, the PAT rose to N903, 441m producing an increase of
569.39%. In 2005, PAT of the company became N2, 509,810b
representing 177.81% growth.

In 2001, the PBT of the company was N2, 225,160b. In 2002, it

dropped to N1, 945,994b given a drop rate of 12.54%. In 2003, PBT of
the company became N47, 233m producing a drop of 97.52%. In 2004,
the company declared PBT of N1, 204,502b given a great increase of
2577.15%
187

In 2005, the PBT of the company rose again to N3, 514,319 given a
growth rate 177.92%

Table 4.4: Universal Press Plc.

YEAR

SHF

T/OVER

PAT

PBT

2001

303,534

578,321

46,678

70,610

2002

319,993

278,609

32,120

49,101

2003

332,162

292,580

30,889

48,094

2004

349,049

355,614

41,847

60,687

2005

370,972

365,829

34,403

52,904

UNIVERSAL PRESS PLC

800,000
SHF

600,000

T/OVER

400,000

PAT

200,000

PBT
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05

20
0

In 2001, SHF of the company was N303,534m. In 2002, it increased to

N319,993 given a growth rate of 5.42%. In 2003, SHF of the company
became N332,162m given a growth rate of 3.8%.In 2004, the company
reported an SHF of N349,049m given a growth rate of 5.08%. In 2005,
188

the SHF of the company rose to N370, 972m producing a growth rate of
6.2%.

Profit After Tax (PAT) as one the companys performance indicators was
N46, 678m in 2001. In 2002, it dropped to N32,120m given a drop rate
of 31.1%. In 2003, PAT of the company dropped again to N30,889m,
given a drop rate of

3.8 percent. In 2004, Profit After Tax of the

company increased to N41, 847m given a 35.5%. In 2005, it dropped

again to N34,403m given a percentage drop of 17.78 percent.

In 2001, PBT (Profit Before Tax) of the company was N70,610m. In

2002, PBT of the company dropped to N49,101m given a drop rate of
30.4 percent. In 2003, the PBT of the company fell to N48, 094m that
was 2.1%. In 2004, it became N60, 687 that was 26.2 percent. In 2005,
the PBT of the company dropped to N52, 904m representing a decrease
of 12.8%.

The Turnover as a proxy for the companys Gross Earning was N578,
321m in 2001. In 2002, it dropped to N278, 609m that was 51.82%. In
2003, the turnover of the company became N292.580 given a drop rate
of 5.0%. In 2004, it increased to N355, 614m representing 21.54%
growth. In 2005, it rose again to N365, 829m given a percentage
growth of 2.87 percent.

189

Table 4.5: AFPRINT PLC

YEAR

SHF

T/OVER

2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

2690582
2756216
2558364
1939956
1621715

5860771
7346152
6955590
6237334
5991285

PATvv
PAT

-71984
65633
-96222
-618407
-318239

PBT

-51984
83633
-73722
-224588
-127960

In 2001, SHF of Afriprint Plc was N2, 690,582 in 2002, it decreased to

N2,276,216b representing 15.40% drop. In 2003, it increased to
N2,558,364b translating to 12.40% increase. In 2004, the company SHF
decreased to N1,939,956b representing 24.17% to drop. In 2005, SHF
of the company drop again to N1, 621,715b representing 16.40% drop
as against the previous year.

The PAT of the company in 2001 was negative by N71, 984m.In 2002, it
rose to N65, 633m representing 8.8%. In 2003, it became negative by
N96, 222m representing 46.61% drop. In 2004, it became negative by

190

N618, 407m representing 632.69% drop. In 2005, it drop again by

N318, 239m representing 48.54% drop.
In Turnover of the company in 2001 was N5, 860,771b.In 2002, it
increased to N7, 346,152b showing a 25.34% increase. In 2003, it drop
to N6, 955,590b representing a 5.32% drop. In 2004, it decreased again
to N6, 237,334b representing a 10.33% drop as against the previous
year. In 2005, it dropped again to N5, 991,295b meaning a 3.94% drop.

The PBT of the company was negative by N51, 984m in 2001.In 2002, it
became positive by N83, 633m representing a growth rate of 93.01%.
In 2003, PBT of the Company became negative by N73, 722m showing
a 11.85% drop. In 2004,PBT of the company became negative by N224,
558m representing 204.64% drop. In 2005, it became negative by
N127, 960m representing 43.02% drop.

191

Table 4.6: Access Bank Plc

YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

SHF
919,493
1,943,784
2,365,356
2,702,830
14,071,924

GE
1,589,555
2,604,378
4,604,378
5,515,086
7,492,855

PAT
77,743
(-55,245)
556,573
637,473
501,515

PBT
116,081
(-17,947)
810,639
951,750
751,033

ACCESS BANK PLC

15,000,000
10,000,000

SHF
GE

5,000,000

PAT
20
05

20
04

20
03

PBT
20
02

20
01

In 2001, Access Bank shareholders Fund was N919,493m. In 2002,it

increased to N1,943,784B given a growth rate of 111.39 percent. In
2003, it increased again to N2,365,356 billion given a growth rate of
21.68%.In 2004, it became N2,702,830b producing a growth rate of
14.26%. In 2005, the shareholders fund of Access bank jumped to
N14,071,924b, that is 420.63%.
On their Gross Earning, it was N1, 589,555b in 2001.In 2002, it
increased to N2, 604,378b, that was an increase of 63.84%. In 2003,
the Gross Earning of the company rose to N4, 367,887b, which was
67.71% growth. In 2004, the company made N5, 515,086b Gross
192

Earning translating into 26.26%. In 2005, the gross earning of the

company rose to N7,492,855b, that is 35.86% growth rate.

The Profit After Tax of the company in 2001 was N77, 743m. In 2002,
it dropped to N55, 245m representing a 28.9% drop rate. In 2003, the
PAT of the company rose to N556, 573m that became 907.46% growth
rate. In 2004, the company generated N637, 473m PAT that became
14.53% growth. In 2005, Access Bank, profit After Tax was N501, 515m
that was 20.70% drop as against the previous Year.
In 2001, the Profit Before Tax of the company was N116, 081m. In
2002, the Profit Before Tax of the company was negative by N17, 947m,
that was 84.53% drop. In 2003, the PBT of the company rose to N810,
639m that was 4416.85% growth. In 2004, the Access Bank, made
N951, 750m Profit After Tax, that gave 17.40% growth rate in 2005, the
PBT became N751, 033m that translates to 21.08% drop as against the
previous year.

193

Table 4.7: IBTC PLC:

YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

SHF
3,779,412
4,934,148
5,880,820
7,837,620
15,659,226

GE
1,671,537
2,513,759
2,933,175
3,072,328
5,004,828

PAT
927,502
1,469,310
1,455,631
1,586,231
2,444,633

PBT
1,208,436
1,905,270
1,881,044
2,049,916
3,321,295

IB TC P LC
20,000,000
S HF

15,000,000

GE

10,000,000

PAT

5,000,000

PBT
05
20

04
20

03
20

02
20

20

01

In 2001, the shareholders fund of IBTC was N3, 779,412b. In 2002, the
SHF of the company became N4, 934,148b representing 30.55%
growth. In 2003, SHF of the company because N5, 880,820b given me
19.18 percent growth.

In 2004, the company had N7, 837,620b SHF balance meaning 33.27
percent growth rate. In 2005, the SHF of the company moved to N15,
659,226b representing 99.79 percent growth rate.

The Gross Earning of the company in 2001 was N1,671,537b. In 2002, it

became N2,513,759 billion, that translated to
194

50.38 percent growth

compared to last year.

In 2003, the GE of the company rose to

N2,933,175 billion representing given us 16.71 percent growth. In 2004,

IBTC gross earning became N3,072,328 billion that translates to 4.74
percent growth. In 2005, the company grew their Gross Earning to
N5,004,828b that became 62.94 percent growth for the year.

In 2001, Profit After Tax of IBTC was N927,502m. In 2002 it became

N1,469,310 billion that gave me 58.40 percent growth. In 2003, their
PAT was N1,455,631 billion that was a drop of 0.9 percent. In 2004, the
company recorded N1,586,231 billion Profit After Tax. This translated to
8.97 percent growth rate. In 2005, their PAT became N2, 444,633 billion
that was 54.1 percent growth.

On the Profit Before Tax (PBT), the company recorded N1,208,436

billion in 2001. In 2002, it increased to N1,905,270 billion that became
57.66 percent growth. In 2003, the PBT dropped to N1,881,044 billion
that gave us 1.27 percent drop rate. In 2004, the company increased its
PBT to N2,049,916 billion that became 8.97% growth. In the year 2005
the PBT of the company became N3, 321,295b representing 62.02%
growth.

195

Table 4.8: Zenith Bank Plc

YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

SHF
6,725,947
9,305,968
12,651,557
15,674,368
37,789,662

GE
9,023,305
12,118,935
17,844,230
23,931,225
34,913,462

PAT
2,418,243
3,504,013
4,424,186
5,190,768
7,155,926

PBT
2,802,580
3,999,368
5,440,471
6,404,885
9,164,787

In 2001, Zenith Bank Shareholders Fund was N6, 725,947billion.In 2002

it rose to N9, 305,968b that became 38.35 percent growth. In 2003,
SHF of the company became N12, 651577 billion, representing 39.96
percent growth. In 2004, Zenith Bank SHF increased to N15,674,368
billion this shows a growth rate of 23.89%. In 2005, their SHF moved
to N37,789,622 billion representing 141.10 percent growth.

The Gross Earnings of the company in 2001 was N9,023,305 billion. In ,

it became N12,118,935 billion representing that became 34.3 percent
growth against the previous year. In 2003, the GE of the company was
N17,844,230 billion that translates to 47.24 percent growth.

196

In 2004 GE of Zenith Bank was N23, 931,255 billion representing 34.11

percent growth. In 2005, the Banks Gross Earning increased to N34,
913,462b representing 45.89 percent growth.

On Zenith PAT (Profit After Tax) the banks record revealed N2,418,243
billion in 2001. In 2002, it became N3,504,013 billion producing 44.89
percent growth. In 2003, their PAT amounted to N4,424,186 billion that
gave us 26.26 percent growth as against the previous year. In 2004, the
banks PAT rose to N5, 190,768 billion that became 17.34 percent
growth.

In 2005, PAT of the company rose to N7,155,926 billion

representing 37.85 percent growth.

The financial report of Zenith Bank shows that its Profit Before Tax was
N2, 802,580 billion in 2001. In 2002, it became N3,999,368 billion given
us a 42.70 percent growth. In 2003, it became N5,440,471 billion that
amounted to 36.03 percent growth as against the previous year. In
2004, PBT of the company became N6,404,885 billion showing a growth
rate of 17.7 percent. In 2005, PAT of the Bank moved to N9,164,787
billion representing 43 percent growth.

197

Table 4.9: Neimeth Plc

YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

SHF
233,331
261,091
308,461
418,994
540,919

T/OVER
1,003,036
897,811
950,804
1,002,024
1,241,949

PAT
21,057
35,661
52,084
59,175
98,427

PBT
3,043
35,215
72,386
89,155
153,602

In 2001, Neimeth Shareholders Fund was N233,331m.In 2002, it

became N261,091m that was 11.89 percent growth. In 2003, the
companys SHF moved to N308,461m that translates to 18,14 percent
growth. In 2004, it became N418,994m that became 35.83 percent
growth. In 2005, the companys SHF became N540, 919m amounting to
29.09 or 29.1 percent increase.

The Turnover performance of Neimeth in 2001 was N1,003,036b. In

2002, it dropped to N897, 811m that gave us 10.49 percent decline. In
2003, it increased to N950,804m that became 5.9 percent growth. In
198

2004, it rose again to N1, 002,024 billion representing 5.38 percent

growth. In 2005, the turnover of the company was N1, 241,949 this
gives us a 23.94 percent growth.

The Profit After Tax of Neimeth in 2001 was N21, 057m. In 2002, it
became N35,661m representing 69.35 percent growth. In 2003, the PAT
of the company became N52, 084m that gave us 46.05 percent
increase. In 2004, PAT of the company increased to N59,175m
representing 13.61 percent growth. In 2005, PAT of the company also
increased to N98.427m that became 66.33 percent growth.

For the companys Profit Before Tax performance in 2001, it was N30,
043m. In 2002, it became N35, 215b representing 13.88 percent
growth. In 2003, PBT of the firm was N72, 386m that gave us 105.55
percent increase. In 2004, PBT of the company was N89,155m that
translated to 23.16. In 2005, PBT of the company jumped to
N153,603m indicating 72.3 percent growth.

199

Table 4.10: Northern Nig. Flour PLC (NNFP)

YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

SHF
412,707
505,147
614,396
725,565
813,064

T/OVER
2,288,617
4,210,517
4,243,286
3,786,915
5,414,843

PAT
55,443
149,640
149,233
138,499
146,797

PBT
82,881
320,840
219,396
204,070
212,283

NORTHERN NIGERIA FLOUR

MILL PLC
6,000,000
4,000,000

SHF

2,000,000

T/OVER
PAT

0
01 002 003 004 005
0
2
2
2
2
2

PBT

In 2001, NNFP, Shareholders Fund was N412,707m. In 2002, it became

N505,147m representing 22.39 percent growth. In 2003, the SHF of the
company was N614,396m this translated to 21.62 percent increase. In
2004, the company recorded N725,565m SHF, this gave us 18.09
percent growth. In 2005, the company grew its Shareholders Fund to
N813,064m that produced 12.05 percent growth.

On the Turnover performance of the company, it was N2, 288,617

billion in 2001. In 2002, it became N4,210,517 billion that was 83.97
percent growth. In 2003, the Turnover of the company increased to
200

N4,243,286b giving us a 0.77 percent growth. In 2004, the companys

Turnover decline to N3,786,915b recording a percentage decline of
10.76%. In 2005, the companys turnover grew to N5,414,843b that
resulted to 42.98 percent increase.

On the Profit After Tax performance of NNFP,it was N55,443m in 2001.

In 2002, the PAT of the company increased to N149, 640m that became
169.89 percent growth rate.

In 2003, it became N149, 233m

representing 0.27 percent decline.. In 2004, the company reported

N138,499m PAT translating to 7.19 percent decline. In 2005, PAT of the
company rose to N146,797m representing 5.95 percent growth rate.
We also analyzed the Profit Before Tax of the company. The result
showed that the PBT of the company was N82,881m. In 2002, it
became N220,840m translating to 166.45 percent growth. In 2003, the
PBT of the company became N219,396m that is 0.65 percent decline. In
2004, the PBT of the company became N204,070m giving us 6.93
percent decline. In the year 2005, the company recorded a N212, 283m
PBT resulting to 4.02 percent increase.

201

Table 4.11: Flour Mill Plc

YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

SHF
3,976,256
5,103,860
5,067,655
5,958,094
11,623,725

T/OVER
30,922,902
43,306,511
42,250,029
53,563,211
66,805,656

PAT
390,828
1,537,104
254,995
1,370,485
1,451,845

PBT
677,080
2,266,473
590,232
1,887,216
2,024,747

In 2001, Flourmill Plc recorded a Turnover of N30, 922,902 billion. In

2002, its turnover increased to N43, 306,511 billion showing a 40.04
percent growth rate. In 2003, the turnover of the company dropped to
N42, 250,029b that shows a 2.4 percent decline. In 2004, the company
was able to increase its turnover to N53, 503,211b that mean 26.77
percent growth. In 2005, the company reported N66, 805,656b turnover
translating to 24.72 percent growth rate.

On the shareholders Fund of the company in 2001, it was N3,

976,256b. In 2002, it rose to N5, 103,860b representing 28.35%
202

growth. In 2003, the SHF of the company became N5, 067,665b leading
to 0.71% decline. In the year 2004, the companys SHF rose to N5,
958,094b that gives us 17.57% growth rate. In 2005, flour mills Plc,
SHF become N11,623,725b amounting to 95.09 percent growth.

As regards to the Profit After Tax (PAT) of the company in the year
2001,it was N390,828m. In the year 2002 it increased to N1, 537,104b
that becomes 293.39 percent increase. In 2003, PAT of the company
dropped significantly to N254,995m translating to 83.4% decline. In
2004, PAT of the company moved to N1,370,485b showing a
percentage increase of 437.45 percentage.

In

2005, PAT of the

company became N1,1451,845b representing 5.9 % rises over the

previous year.

In 2001, the company made Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N677,080m. In

2002, PBT of the company increased to N2,266,473b showing 234.7 %
growth. In 2003 PAT of the company dropped to N590,232m that is
73.92% decline over the previous year. In 2004, PBT rose immensely to
N1,887,216b representing 219.7% rise. In 2005, PBT of the company
rise again to N2,024,747 translating to 7.28 percent growth over 2004.

203

Table 4.12: Adswitch PLC

YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

SHF
37,957
44,627
45,770
28,378
29,982

T/OVER
52,632
97,390
35,992
15,262
55,512

PAT
7,502
11,670
1,143
(-17,392)
6,604

PBT
11,329
19,172
3,520
(-18,321)
7,921

Adswitch had Shareholders Fund of N37, 957m in 2001. In 2002, it

grew to N44,627m representing 17.6% growth. In 2003, SHF of
company became N45,770m which means 2.6 % growth over last years
result. In 2004, SHF of the company dropped to N28,378m representing
38% decline over the previous year. In 2005, it marginally increased to
N29,982m that gives us 5.7 percent growth rate.

On the turnover of the company in 2001 it was N52,632m. In 2002 the

company turnover moved to N97,390m representing 85% growth. In
204

2003, the company reported a dropped Turnover of N35,992m showing

63% decline against 2002. In 2004, turnover of the company became
N15,262m representing 57.6% decline. In 2005, the company turnover
was N55,512m that means 263.7% growth against the previous year.

In 2001, PAT of the company was N7, 502m. In 2002, it increased to

N11, 670m representing 55.56% growth against the previous year. In
2003, the companys PAT dropped to N1, 143m showing 90.21%. In
2004, the PAT of the Company became negative by N17, 393m
representing 1421.61% drop. In 2005, it increased to N6, 604m
representing 62.03% growth.

In 2001, the Profit Before Tax of the company was N11, 329m. In 2002,
it moved to N19, 172m representing 69.2 percent growth over previous
years result. In 2003, it dropped to N3, 520m showing a decline of 72.4
percent. In 2004, PBT of the company was negative by N18, 321m
representing 420.48%. In 2005, the PBT if the company rose to N7,
921m translating to 56.77% against previous year.

205

Table 4.13: Presco PLC

YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

SHF
1,165,055
1,793,365
1,918,558
2,274,900
2,315,582

T/OVER
1,236,626
1,369,364
2,128,304
2,346,068
2,347,611

PAT
217,264
153,596
375,193
606,342
340,682

PBT
225,349
131,378
407,615
672,242
453,620

In 2001, Shareholders Fund of Presco Plc was N1, 165, 055 billion. In
2002, the companys SHF rose to N1,793,3656m representing 54
percent growth. In 2003, SHF of the company became N1,918,558
billion that means 6.9 percent growth. In 2004, the company SHF
became N2,274,900 billion representing 18.7 percent growth over the
previous years performance. In 2005, SHF of the company became
N2,315,582 billion showing 1.78 percent growth.

In 2001, the turnover of the company was N1,236,626 billion. In 2002,

it moved to N1,369,364b representing 10.7 percent increase. In 2003, it
206

moved to N2,128,304 billion that means 55.4 percent growth. In 2004,

the companys turnover became N2, 346,068 billion showing 10.2
percent rise over the previous year. In 2005, the turnover of the
company became N2,347,611 billion translating to 0.06 percent
increase.

Presco Plc had N217,264m as Profit After Tax in 2001. In 2002, its PAT
dropped to N153,596m representing a drop of 29.3 percent. In 2003, its
PAT rose to N375,193m showing 144.3 percent growth. In 2004, PAT of
the company rose again to N600,342m representing 61.6 percent
growth over the previous years result in 2005, PAT of the company
dropped to N340,682m that IS 43.8 percent decline.

The company Profit Before Tax in 2001 was N225,349m. In 2002, it

dropped to N131,378m representing a decline of 41.7 percent. In 2003,
it rose to N407,615m that means 210.3 percent growth. In 2004, PBT of
the company moved to N672,242m translating to 64.9 percent growth.
In 2005, there was a fall in the PBT of the company to N453,620b
representing 32.5 percent decline.

207

Table 4.14: Leventis Plc

YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

SHF
2,175,889
2,357,769
2,813,535
3,433,429
3,676,466

PAT
36,310
59,565
186,180
240,992
382,370

PBT
37,534
132,714
305,665
325,825
593,301

T/OVER
4,051,668
4,421,205
5,608,501
6,120,757
7,035,811

In 2001, Shareholders Fund of the company was N217,889b. In 2002,

the SHF of the company became N2,357,769 billion representing 8.35
percent growth. In 2003, SHF of the company became N2,813,535
billion showing 19.3 percent growth. In 2004, SHF of the company
recorded N3,438,429 billion SHF representing 22.2 percent rise over the
previous year. In 2005, SHF of the company became N3,676,466b that
means 6.9 percent growth over the previous years performance.

The PAT of the company was N36,310m for the year 2001. In 2002, it
rose to N59,565m representing a growth rate of 64.3 percent. In 2003,
the PAT of the company rose to N186,180m that translates to 212.6
percent growth. In 2004, the company recorded N240,992m PAT
208

representing 29.45 percent growth. In 2005, PAT of the company

became N382,370m translated to 58.66 percent growth.

The Profit Before Tax of the company was N37,534m in 2001. In 2002,
it grew to N132,714 representing a growth rate of 253.58 percent. In
2003, PBT of the company moved to N305,665m representing to 130.3
percent growth. In 2004, the companys PBT became N325, 825m that
means 6.6 percent growth. In 2005, PBT of the company increased to
N593,301m that produced 82.1 percent increase over the previous
years performance.

The Turnover of the company in 2001 was N4, 051,668 billion. In 2002,
it became N4, 421,205b representing 9.1 percent growth. In 2003, the
turnover of the company became N5, 605,501b showing 26.85 percent
growth. In 2004, the company recorded a Turnover of N6, 120,757b
representing 9.13 percent growth. In 2005, Leventis as a company
recorded N7,035,811b as Turnover representing 14.95 percent growth.

209

Table 4.15: Unilever Plc

YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

SHF
4,109,065
4,167,664
3,905,551
6,672,800
5,570,611

T/OVER
15,203,511
19,003,356
23,693,923
28,976,997
33,390,940

PAT
2,164,114
1,571,918
1,870,258
2,167,249
1,616,457

PBT
1,585,738
2,053,089
2,778,155
2,270,047
2,281,416

UNILEVER PLC

In 2001, shareholders fund of Unilever was

N4, 109,06b. In 2002,

SHF of the company rose to N4,167,664b representing 1.4 percent

growth. In 2003, the company recorded N3,903,551b SHF showing
decline of 6.3 percent. In 2004, the SHF of the company was N6,
672,800b representing 70.9 percent growth. In 2005, the company
recorded N5,570,611b SHF translating to 16.5 percent decline.

The turnover of the company in 2001 was N15,203,011b. In 2002, it

moved to N19,003,306b representing 24.98 percent growth. In 2003,
the companys turnover rose to N23,693,923b that gives us 24.68
210

percent growth. In 2004, the Turnover of the company became

N28,576,997b that means 20.60 percent growth. In 2005, the company
recorded N33, 390,940b Turnover translating to 16.84 percent growth.
In 2001, Unilever recorded N2,164,114b PAT. In 2002, PAT of the
company dropped to N1,571,918b representing 27.36 percent drop. In
2003, PAT of the company became N1,870,258b showing 18.9 percent
growth in 2004, the companys PAT became N2,167,249b that means
15,87 percent growth. In 2005, it dropped to N1,616,457b producing
25.41 percent decline.
The Profit Before Tax of the company was N1,588,738b in 2001. In 202,
it grew to N2,053,089b representing a growth rate of 29.47 percent. In
2003, it became N2,778,115b that means 35.31 percent growth in 2004,
the company recorded N2,270,047b PBT showing a 18.28 percent
decline. In 2005, the company declared N2,281, 416b PBT representing
0.50 percent growth.
4.2 IMPLICATIONS OF PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT AND
BUSSINESS STRATEGY
Theoretically, there seems to be a correlation between performance
measurement and business strategy. The BCG and Product life cycle
help us to understand more about this link in business strategy. It is a
common thing to see some companies that have a high performance
based on some of the variables (Shareholders Fund, profit after tax,
profit before tax and gross earning) pursing stability or growth
strategies. Also it is common to see some of the companies that have
211

negative

financial

performance

indicators

applying

turnaround,

integration and similar strategies. The performance indicators signal the

strategic direction of a particular business. Some of these strategies
indicated in the literature could be turn-around, vertical, horizontal,
growth strategies and so on.
In furtherance, the study revealed that about 98% of public limited
companies selected for the study have positive quantitative financial
indicators. What these means is that adequate financial record and
sound management would have contributed to this result. Also the
availability of this financial data made it possible for easy SWOT
(strength, weaknesses, opportunity and threat) analysis of the company.
In crafting business strategy the availability of this financial data is a
plus to sound, adequate and suitable strategy.
4.3

REGRESSION ANALYSIS
The study adopted the use of regression techniques to analyze the
relative impact of the quantitative variables used in measuring
Companies performance. Here, we adopted again the use of key
selected performance variables. Our regression model therefore
becomes:
Y= bo + b1PAT + b2PBT + b3SHF + ei
Where:
Y
=

Gross Earning / Turn Over

PAT =

Profit After Tax

PBT =

Profit Before Tax

SHF =

Share Holders Fund

ei

errorterm

212

Table 4.16:

CROSS SECTIONAL DATA FOR OUR REGRESSION ANALYSIS

YEAR

GE

SHF

PAT

PBT

2001

83,428,359

34,659,655

9,489,108

11,123,172

2002

116,618,629

76,648,724

12,574,994

16,037,787

2003

133,661,043

52,560,059

12,909,996

16,405,958

2004

160,428,996

66,153,264

16,394,105

20,785,525

2005

206,678,393

145,611,006

21,715,246

28,447,413

TOTAL

700,815,420

375,632,708

73,083,449

92,799,855

Researchers computation.

Table 4.17 From 4.16 above converted to the nearest billion (N).
YEAR

GE (X1)

SHF(X2) PAT (X3)

PBT (X4)

2001

83.4

34.7

9.4

11.1

2002

116.6

76.6

12.6

16.0

2003

133.7

52.6

12.9

16.4

2004

160.4

66.1

16.4

20.8

2005

206.7

145.6

21.7

28.4

Source: Researchers computation.

213

Table 4.18

COMPUTED TABLE FOR THE REGRESSION ANALYSIS.

X1

X2

X3

X4

Xi2

X22

X32

X42

X1X2

X1X3

X2X3

X1X4

X2X4

X3X4

83.4

34.7

9.4

11.1

6955.56

1204.09

88.36

123.21

2893.98

783.96

326.18

925.74

385.17

104.34

116.6

76.6

12.6

16.0

13595.56

5867.56

158.76

256

8931.56

1469.16

965.16

1865.6

1225.6

201.6

113.7

52.6

12.9

16.4

17875.69

2766.76

166.41

268.96

7032.62

1724.73

678.54

2192.68

862.62

209.92

160.4

66.1

16.0

20.8

25728.16

4369.21

268.96

432.64

10602.44

2630.56

1084.04

3336.32

1374.88

341.12

206.7

145.6

21.7

28.4

42724.89

21199.36

470.89

806.56

30095.52

4485.39

3159.52

5870.28

4135.04

616.28

X1=

X2=

X3=

X4=

X12=

X22=

X32=

X42=

X1X2=

X1X3=

X2X3=

X1X4=

X2X4=

X3X4=

700.9

375.6

73.0

106879.86

35406.98

1153.38

1887.37

59556.12

11093.8

6213.44

14190.62

7983.33

1473.26

92.7

Source: Researchers Computation

214

General normal equation formula:

X1 = b1.234 N + b12.34X2 + b13.24X3 + b14.23X4
X1X2 = b1.234X2 + b12.34X22 + b13.24X2X3 + b14.23X2X4
X1X3 = b1.234X3 + b12.34X2X3 + b13.24X23 + b14.23X3X4
X1X4 = b1.234X4 + b12.34X2X4 + b12.34X2X4 + X3X4 +b14.23X24
Source: Spiegel Murray and Stephens Larry (1999: 350)

To derive our normal equation, I therefore substitute in table 4.3:

700.8 = 5b1.23 + 365.4b1.2 +73b1.3 + 92.7b1.4
59556.12 = 375.6b1.23 +35406.98b1.2 + 6213.44b1.3 7983.33b1.4
11093.8 = 73b1.23 + 6213.44b1.2 + 1153.38b1.3 + 1473.26b1.4
14190.62 = 92.7b1.23 + 7983.33b1.2 + 1473.26b1.3 + 1887.37b1.4

We now transformed the above equation to:

5b1.23 + 375.6b1.2 +73b1.3 + 92.7b1.4 = 700.8

. (1)

375.6b1.23 +35406.98b1.2 + 6213.44b1.3 + 7983.33b1.4 = 59556.12 ...(2)

73b1.23 + 6213.44b1.2 + 1153.38b1.3 + 1473.26b1.4 = 11093.8 ..(3)

92.7b1.23 + 7983.33b1.2 + 1473.26b1.3 1887.37b1.4 = 14190.62 .(4)

Solving equations 1,2,3 and 4 simultaneously, I have:

b1 = 0.8588; b2 = 0.1680; b3 = 8.582; b4 = 0.0752

ccxv

From the above results, I now derived the least square model as;
Y = 0.8588 + 0.1680b2 + 8.582b3 + 0.0752b4 ..(5)

4.4

ANALYSIS OF OUR LEAST SQUARE MODEL:

From the results generated, we can see there is a positive relationship or
correlation between our dependent variable (Y) and all the independent
variables (Profit After Tax, Profit Before Tax and Share holders Fund).
The results show that the interception between our dependent and
independent variable is 0.8588.

The result also shows that 1% change

in Gross Earning/Turnover is equal to 0.1680 of

Share Holders Fund.

We also saw that 1% change Gross Earning results to 8.582 of Profit

After Tax. Finally, changes in Gross Earning results to 0.0752 of Profit
Before Tax.

Table 4.19:
RANKING OF RELATIVE IMPACT OF THE VARIABLES ON THE
DEPENDENT VARIABLES
VARIABLES
RANKING
Profit After Tax

8.582

Share Holders Fund

0.1680

Profit Before Tax

0.0752

From the above, it is obvious that Profit After Tax has more relative
impact on the Gross Earning (The impact could be as result of the cross
sectional generation of the data used). The results shown by the ranking

ccxvi

means that the Share Holders Fund has more impact than Profit After
Tax which is 0.0752.
4.5 TEST OF HYPOTHESES
Hypotheses 1
There is no significant relationship between financial ratio and business
strategy.
Table 4.20
Summary of responses on financial ratios based on educational
qualification and job title.
Group

Responses

Row Total

Yes

No

Educational qualification

10

18

Job Title

14

10

24

Column Total

24

18

42

Table 4.21
Result of calculated expected frequency based on observed frequency for
multiple sample case.
Cell

Observed frequencies

Expected
frequencies

1.

10

10.29

2.

7.71

3.

14

13.71

4.

10

10.29

ccxvii

Table 4.22
Summary of resulted of calculated chi-square
Cell

O-E

(O-E)2

(O-E)2/E

10

10.29

-0.29

0.084

0.008

7.71

0.29

0.084

0.010

3.

14

13.71

0.29

0.84

0.006

10

10.29

-0.29

0.084

0.008
X2=0.032

Table 4.23
Summary of chi-square analysis on financial ratio responses based on
educational qualification and job title
Group

Responses

Yes

No

EQ

10

18

JT

14

10

24

24

18

42

Cal X2 df

Crit X2

0.032

3.841

Insignificant at 0.05 probability level. The hypothesis is therefore

accepted since the calculated chi-square is less than the critical X2 .

ccxviii

HYPOTHESES 2
There

is

no

significant

relationship

between

firms

production

effectiveness and business strategy.

Table 4.24
Summary of responses on production effectiveness based on educational
qualification and job title.

Group

Responses

Row Total

Yes

No

Educational qualification

11

10

Job Title

12

23

19

Column Total

ccxix

21
21
42

Table 4.25
Result of calculated expected frequency based on observed frequency for
multiple sample case.
Cell

Observed frequencies

Expected frequencies

1.

11

10.5

2.

10

9.5

3.

12

10.5

4.

9.5

Table 4.26
Summary of resulted of calculated chi-square
Cell

O-E

(O-E)2

(O-E)2/E

11

10.5

0.5

0.25

0.024

10

9.5

0.5

0.25

0.026

3.

12

10.5

1.5

2.25

0.214

9.5

-0.5

0.25

0.263
X2=0.527

ccxx

Table 4.27:
Summary of chi-square analysis on production effectiveness responses
based on educational qualification and job title
Group

Responses

Yes

No

EQ

11

10

21

JT

12

21

23

19

42

Cal X2 Df

Crit X2

0.527

3.841

Insignificant at 0.05 probability level. The hypothesis is therefore

accepted since the calculated chi-square is less than the critical X2.
HYPOTHESES 3
There is no significant relationship between client satisfaction and
business strategy.
Table 4.28:
Summary of responses on Client satisfaction based on educational
qualification and job title.
Group

Responses

Row Total

Yes

No

Educational qualification

11

Job Title

17

14

31

Column Total

23

19

42

ccxxi

Table 4.29:
Result of calculated expected frequency based on observed frequency for
multiple sample case.
Cell

Observed frequencies

Expected frequencies

1.

6.024

2.

4.976

3.

17

16.976

4.

14

14.024

Table 4.30:
Summary of resulted of calculated chi-square
Cell

O-E

(O-E)2

(O-E)2/E

6.024

-0.024

0.001

0.00016

4.976

0.024

0.001

0.00020

3.

17

16.976

0.024

0.001

0.000058

14

14.064

-0.024

0.001

0.00071
X2=0.001

ccxxii

Table 4.31
Summary of chi-square analysis on client satisfaction responses based on
educational qualification and job title
Group

Responses

Yes

No

EQ

11

JT

17

14

31

23

19

42

Cal X2 Df

Crit X2

0.001

3.841

Insignificant at 0.05 probability level. The hypothesis is therefore

accepted since the calculated chi-square is less than the critical X2.

HYPOTHESES 4
There is significant between research and business strategy
Table 4.31
Summary of responses on Client satisfaction based on educational
qualification and job title.
Group

Responses

Row Total

Yes

No

Educational qualification

Job Title

15

12

22

20

Column Total

ccxxiii

15
27
42

Table 4.32
Result of calculated expected frequency based on observed frequency for
multiple sample case.
Cell

Observed frequencies

Expected frequencies

1.

7.86

2.

7.14

3.

15

14.14

4.

12

12.86

Table 4.33
Summary of resulted of calculated chi-square
Cell

O-E

(O-E)2

(O-E)2/E

7.86

-0.86

0.74

0.094

7.14

0.86

0.74

0.104

3.

15

14.14

0.86

0.74

0.052

12

12.86

-0.86

0.74

0.058
X2=0.308

ccxxiv

Table 4.34
Summary of chi-square analysis on research responses based on
educational qualification and job title
Group

Responses

Yes

No

EQ

15

JT

15

12

27

20

42

22

Cal X2 df

Crit X2

0.308

3.841

Insignificant at 0.05 probability level. The hypothesis is therefore

accepted since the calculated chi-square is less than the critical X2.

HYPOTHESIS 5
There

is

no

significant

relationship

between

corporate

social

responsibilities and business strategy.

Table 4.35
Summary of responses on corporate social responsibilities based on
educational qualification and job title.
Group

Responses

Row Total

Yes

No

Educational qualification

Job Title

14

13

Column Total

22

20

ccxxv

15
27
42

Table 4.36
Result of calculated expected frequency based on observed frequency for
multiple sample case.
Cell

Observed frequencies

Expected frequencies

1.

7.86

2.

7.14

3.

14

14.14

4.

13

12.86

Table 4.37
Summary of resulted of calculated chi-square
Cell

O-E

(O-E)2

(O-E)2/E

7.86

0.14

0.019

0.002

7.14

-0.14

0.019

0.003

3.

14

14.14

0.14

0.019

0.001

13

12.86

0.014

0.019

0.001
X2=0.007

ccxxvi

Table 4.38
Summary of chi-square analysis on corporate social responsibility based
on educational qualification and job title
Group

Responses

Yes

No

EQ

15

JT

14

13

27

20

42

22

Cal X2 df

Crit X2

0.007

3.841

Insignificant at 0.05 probability level. The hypothesis is therefore

accepted since the calculated chi-square is less than the critical X2.

ccxxvii

CHAPTER 5

DISCUSSION Of RESULTS
5.1 LINK BETWEEN PERFORMANCE AND STRATEGY
Jaunch and Glueck (1998) stated that designing strategy involves analysis
and diagnosis of all the business entity. This analysis assists in
determining the environmental factors, opportunities, internal strength
and weakness that affect the company.

In carrying out this study on the assessment of firm performance, the

researcher examined the links between firm performance and business
strategy using both the primary and secondary data from selected
companies in Kaduna. However, the analysis of the secondary data has
been done earlier. From the primary data generated and examined, out of
60 questionnaires distributed 42 staff responded, representing (70%)
response rate. In the course of the research, the respondents were
according to their educational qualifications and job titles. This enabled
the researcher to know the percentage responses of the each of the key
variables from each groups.

5.2 ANALYSIS OF PRIMARY DATA RESPONSES

In analyzing our primary data responses were grouped them under
educational qualifications and job title respondents. The cross sectional
responses helped us to capture the responses of staff under two major
groups (educational qualifications and job title). Thus, the disaggregated
responses are based on yes, no and undecided responses.

ccxxviii

In discussing our result we found out that 85.71% of the respondents

agreed that their firms have vision statement, 4.76% of the respondents
stated that their firm do not have a vision statement. 9.55% of the
respondent said they did not know anything about vision. What this
means is that people with high educational qualifications seems to
understand where the company is going. The respondents show clear
agreement with the principle that strategy is a corporate level thing.
Similarly the responses on knowledge of the company 5- year vision
statement indicate that most top staff of the companies knows the
competent vision statement.

From the result generated about 38.1% of the respondents agreed that
their company have strategic business unit. 52.28% of the respondents
said their companies do not have strategic unit and 9.25 % did not know
any thing about strategic unit in their organization. What this shows is
that greater numbers of the company staff do not know the direction of
the company.

On staff involvement in strategic development process, about 57.14% of

the respondent with HND and above stated that they are involved in the
process of developing strategy. Only about 28.57% said that they are not
being carried along.

14.29% show their ignorance about strategic

management process. This shows that most of the companies selected

ccxxix

based participation in strategic process on skill and educational

qualifications.

Also only about 47.62% of the respondents who participated in the

strategic management process played active role.

9.52% of the

participants said they did not play any role. Looking at the response
about 42.86 % of the staff were undecided, may be because they do not
know anything about strategy.

Looking at the response rate for knowledge of key management ratios,

the response rate shows that 57.14% of the respondents claim to know
much about key management ratios, but 23.18% of the respondents said
that they do not know much about key management ratios. Also from the
responses it is observed that 19.05% of the respondents were undecided
on what key management ratios are all about. What it means is that most
staff that participated in strategic process of their company have some
knowledge of the key management ratios.

From survey also 80.95% of the staff said that understand key
management ratio and could also interpret them. This could be as a result
of their educational qualification. Only about 14% said they could not
interpret them.4.76% stated they do not know anything about them.
What this statistics show is that there is a correlation between
understanding ratios analysis in business strategy and interpreting the
ratio.

ccxxx

Our survey also revealed that 85.71% of the company has 5-year
financial statements. Inability of the companies to open up to researcher
could be an internal management decision. Only about 4.76% of the staff
of the companies said No to the question. 9.23% of respondent claims
they do not know anything about the companys 5-year financial
statement. These could be as a result of their educational qualification or
lack of knowledge about how companies are run.

The above response is in tandem with the rating of the financial

performances of these companies. From our survey, staff of these
companies with 5 year financial statement stated that 85.71 % of
companies is doing well finally, 4.76% stated that they do not know, thus
agreeing with their earlier responses. About 9.23 % stated they do not
know anything about their companies performance.

Our results also revealed the responses based on knowledge why

business strategies fail, 76.19% of the respondent agreed that they have
good knowledge why strategies fail. This is in consistent with their earlier
responses on financial variables. Only about 14.29 % of the respondents
said they do not know why strategies fail. In addition, 9.52 % of the
respondents were undecided on why strategies fail.

In our survey, we generated information on knowledge of how to

implement strategy successfully. This could be as a result of their position

ccxxxi

and educational qualification (HND, BSc) and knowledge of business

strategy.

Also the same group of respondents (14.29%) started they do not know
how to implement strategy successfully. What this seems to explain is
that some of them in leadership position or educational exposure lack
knowledge of strategic management. Also 23.84% of the respondent
were undecided similar to the above responses, the study gathered that
71.43% of the respondents who said yes on knowledge of how to
implement strategy successfully also said they consider company
structure, systems, style, quality of staff, shared values, skills, leadership
as necessary factor for effective strategy implementation.

The same group of respondents (4.76%) stated that they do not know or
understand factors necessary for effective strategy implementation. The
survey also revealed that 23.31% of the respondents stated that they
know nothing about effective strategy implementation factor. This could
be as a result of their lack of knowledge about what strategy is.

Looking at the responses of the financial ratios under educational

qualification, we have 55.55% of respondents agreeing that their
companies consider financial ratios in measuring firms performance. 27.
77% of the respondents stated that their firms do not consider financial
ratios in measuring performance. Only 11. 11% of the respondents stated
undecided on the variable. From the result, we can see that greater

ccxxxii

number of the respondents believed that their firms consider financial

ratios in measuring performance.

On production effectiveness variable, 52.38% of the staff agreed that

their companies consider qualitative variable (production effectiveness) in
measuring performance.38.10% of the respondents stated that their
firms do not consider production effectiveness in measuring performance.
The remaining 9.52% were undecided when it come to this variable.

Looking at the client satisfaction variable, we saw that 54.55% of the

respondents stated tat their companies consider client satisfaction in
measuring performance. 27.27% of the respondents stated that their
companies do not consider client satisfaction in a measuring performance.
18.18% of the respondents were undecided.

We also look at the research and development responses in measuring

performance. From our results 46.66% of the respondent stated that
their companies do consider research and development in measuring
performance. 40% of the respondent stated they do not consider
research in measuring company performance. 13.33% of the respondents
were undecided may be for lack of understanding of what the variable
is all about.

In addition, our results show that 53.33% of respondents stated that

their companies consider corporate social responsibility (CSR) in

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measuring performance. 33.33% of the respondent stated no when it

comes to considering CRS in measuring performance. 13.33% of the
respondents were undecided.

In analyzing our data further, I examined the responses of staff based on

their job title. Job title here is grouped into corporate top manager,
strategic business unit top manager, member of board of director and
internal consultant compared to the group of people that started they do
not belong to any of the above categories of staff.

Looking at the responses based on job title the researcher observed that
61.90% of the respondent agreed that their companies have a vision
statement about 23.81% stated no to the question. 9.52% of the
respondent did not know anything about vision statement. If you
compare this with the responses based on educational qualification, you
realize that staff members with high educational qualification and job title
are correlated vis--vis business strategy and performance.

From our survey generated 76.19% of people with similar job title agreed
that they know about the company 5-year vision. Comparing this with the
response based on educational qualification we found that the same
percent of response agreed that their company has a 5-year vision.

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Responses on whether firms have strategic unit revealed that only about
90.48% of our selected companies have strategic business unit. 4.76%
responded no, and the percentage is undecided.

In examining our responses further we found out that 57.14% claimed

that they have participated in strategic business development. What it
means is that greater number of the firms with strategic unit has more
people participating in strategic development of the company.

From our survey it is observed that 52.38% said they played active role in
strategy development. This is close to the number of people (57.14%)
who participated in strategy development of their company. About
42.86% stated that they do not play any role, may be because they were
not given a role. 4.76% of the respondents were undecided.

It is also observed that 4.76% said that they consider other variable like
return on investment in measuring performance. 71.63% said they do not
consider other variables. Only about 23.81% were undecided.

Our responses reviewed that the number of company that have 5-year
financial statement responses are 52.38% whereas 23.81 and 23.81 said
no and undecided respectively.

From responses it is possible that those firms without 5-year financial

statement do no have business strategy or that the respondent are not

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among the management team of the company. We gathered that the

financial performance according to the responses of the management
team

is

90.48%

for

Yes

and

4.76%

said

No

and

undecidedrespectively.

In discussing responses on knowing whether they know how to

implement strategy successfully, we recorded 80.90% that said, Yes
and 9.52% and 4.76% said No and undecided respectively.

In addition 76.19% of the respondents showed that there firm

understand those factors that are necessary for successful strategy
implementation, 19.05% said No. The

remaining

4.76%

were

undecided.
Results generated based on job title, also show 58.33% of the
respondents stating that they their companies consider financial ratios in
measuring performance. 33.33% of the respondents stated they do not
consider financial ratios in measuring performance. This could be as a
result of their inability to understand the implications of considering such
variables in measuring performance. 8.33% of the respondents were
undecided

On the production effectiveness variable, 57.14% of the respondents said

their firms consider the variable in measuring performance. 28.57% of
the respondent said no to this variable. About 14.29% of the
respondents were undecided.
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Looking at the client satisfaction responses, 54.84% of the respondents

stated that their companies consider the variable in measuring
performance.

41.94% of the respondent said their companies do not

consider client satisfaction in measuring performance and only about

3.23% of the respondents were undecided.

On research and development (R&D) responses, 55.56% of the

respondent stated that their companies consider R&D in measuring
performance, 33.33% of the respondent stated they do not consider
(R&D) in measuring performance, while 11.11% of the respondent were
undecided in considering the variable.

Again, looking at the corporate social responsibility based on job title, it

was observed that 51.85% of the respondents stated that their firms
consider corporate social responsibility in measuring performance.
40.74% of the respondents said they do not consider the variable. Only
about 7.41% of the respondents were undecided.

5.3 THE PROBLEM OF STRATEGY IN SELECTED COMPANIES

Most firms examined in our study especially private limited companies are
faced with a lot of business strategy problem. Generally, in understanding
business strategic process we need to identify factors, which may lead to
significant changes in the organization. Some of these factors could be
positive or negative to the firm. For instance, a major divestiture could

ccxxxvii

eliminate a business subunit or a new product thrust or product

development could make a unit more critical for organizational
development.

Understanding what factors may be pushing the

organization in certain directions and how business activities are very

critical business strategy.

Understanding business values, objectives of higher-level managers put

staff in a better position to know where the firm is heading. Most private
companies

used found it

difficult

to understand basic

strategic

management theories. From investigation, we found out that 85% of the

companies do not have adequate manpower to craft the right strategy for
the organization.

Also our study show that more than 80% of the junior staff in the
companies selected do not know anything about the direction of their
companies not to talk of the companies strategies.

Another problem observed is that some top managers of the companies

selected do not understand SWOT analysis of their companies, thereby
making it difficult for them to initiate the right strategies.

In addition, most staff members do not understand the fundamental

variables that impact on their business, thus making it difficult for them to
design the right strategy.

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Koch (2000) listed the following as the major problem associated with
business strategies:
(i)

What business are you in?

(ii)

Where do you do to make the money?

(iii)

How good is your competitive position?

(iv)

What skills and capabilities underpin your success?

(v)

Is this a good industry to be in?

(vi)

What do the customers think?

(vii)

What about the competitors?

(viii)

How do you raise projects quickly?

(ix)

How do you build long-term values?

5.4 IMPLICATIONS OF STRATEGY TO BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

There are many implications of strategy to business development.
Companies rather than markets are mainly responsible for creating new,
better and fresh ways of doing business. It is individual human
collaboration that makes it possible to boldly go where no person and no
market has gone before. The job of crafting companies new space and
supplying customers in that space with something that no other company
can do, or do so well is what continually swells the wealth of the world
.(Koch,2006.)

Corporate strategy is the province of entrepreneurs or managers in any

firms, other small, medium or large. Business unit strategy explains what
happens in particular business positions and is generally confined to the

ccxxxix

position at one time or over a relatively short period of time. To make any
substantial progress in business requires innovation and the creation of
new market segments ecosystem, because they involve the satisfaction
of human needs by other human being and the organization of a separate
and distinctive way of doing so. Creating white space in business, and
delivering a new product or service in that space is sometimes (but more
than 99 percent of the time) the work of a loose network of individual.

Corporate strategy is about diversity, differentiation, surprises, peculiarity,

change and creativity.

Jauch and Glueck (1998), that you are likely to perform better in your
function, regardless of your level in the organization, if you know the
direction in which the organization is going. As a manager of a subunit,
you would like to know how what you do fits into the broader picture. If
you know how your functions contribute, you should be able to do a
better job of helping the organization reach its objectives. Further more,
If you understand why those were established, you can implement them
more effectively. If you understand how your job relates to others in the
organization, you will be in a better position to effectively work with peers
when cooperation is called for, and compete for resources when the
times comes.

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CHAPTER 6
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
6.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
The robust analysis carried out in the course of this study revealed a lot
of findings. Some of the findings are literature based; some are
methodological while some are analytical based. The results from our
analysis revealed that there is a correlation between staff job title
(corporate level staff) and knowledge of business strategy and
implementation. This was clearly illustrated by the results generated from
our survey. This is in line with the principle of business strategy as
corporate level issues.
The conclusion is that most staff at the corporate level have adequate
knowledge of strategy, and are the ones that design business strategy.
They are also in a better position to understand and interpret strategic
management issues or process.

The study revealed that previous literatures do not include some

important quantitative and qualitative variables. The conclusion is that
they could not capture some important variables that aid business
strategy.
The study also shows that most junior staff especially people with OND
and below know little or nothing about business strategy or even their
companies vision statement. The conclusion is that virtually all the
companies selected do not carry their junior staff along while designing
ccxli

business strategy. This gap or finding has shown why strategy

implementation in very difficult to achieve.
Another finding generated from this study is that all the private limited
companies selected could not release their company financial statements.
Thus casting doubt as to whether they have sound financial statements.
This made it very difficult for the researcher to assess their financial
strengths and weaknesses. It also cast doubt as to whether they keep
adequate financial statement.

The conclusion is that some of the companies selected may not have
sound financial statement or at the extreme evades appropriate tax
payment.
Another finding very common is that about 85% of the companies do not
have anything like strategic department or unit. Similarly, they do not
even have internal consultants. What it means is that contrary to some of
their responses, we found out that some of their responses are not
consistent with what we found on ground.
The conclusion we deduced from this finding is that most business
failures could be attributed to lack of strategic unit or lack of consulting of
external consultants for the purpose of designing or creating strategy for
them.

ccxlii

Another finding of the study based on the response from the

questionnaire, is that the staff members of their companies seems to
have some basic understanding about their companies financial statement
not withstanding the fact that they did not show the researcher the
financial statement. Companies like IBBI, Peugeot, Kaduna Furniture
Company have well qualified accountants. The conclusion deduced from
this is that they may have good financial record.

We also found out that some of the companies selected do not have good
company structural set up. For instance, in some company one person
was the manager, accountant, lineman, thus making it difficult to pin
down their duties. Jauch and Glueck (1998) stated that, good structure
is inseparably linked to strategy. This is also in agreement with Porters
7- S theory.

The conclusion is that those companies without sound structured

arrangement even when they have business strategy will always face
implementation problems. We therefore agreed that for a company to
succeed strategy-wise there is need to have sound structural set up.
Moreover, our finding from the literature reviewed is that most strategic
management literatures scarcely incorporate rigorous macro economic
variables that impact on strategic management success.

The conclusion is that understanding the impacts of macroeconomic

variables like exchange rate, inflation will aid strategy design and success.
ccxliii

We also found that most studies on strategy adopted state static model
instead of dynamic and time-bound model. The problem could be as a
result of poor data or inadequate data. The conclusion is that these
studies could not capture the real life business uncertainties.

6.2 RECOMMENDATION
In the course of our research we examined firm performance by
assessing some key variables that influence firms strategy development.
Our

findings

and

conclusions

therefore

informed

the

following

recommendations.

Integrating all aspects of a company is a sin-qua-non to a successful

business strategy. Unit levels and functional levels should be integrated
for any successful business strategy.

Also, every company should have a strategic business unit or employ the
services of external consultants. These consultants will help them design
road maps for their company. In addition, companies should keep upto-date and adequate financial statements. This is because the basis for
any

sound

strategy

is

the

understanding

of

the

financial

position/performance of the company. This financial position will assist

both internal and external consultants to design appropriate and feasible
business strategy.

ccxliv

There is need for further studies to include macroeconomic variables in

crafting business strategy. This is because the ability of a strategist to
capture more variables will lead to more realistic strategy.

The researcher also recommends the effective use of ratio in the analysis
of companies to strengthen the understanding of their performances
thereby crafting suitable strategy.

There is need for more inclusive studies that will involve more sample
size, and the time series/secondary data should be extended to more
than five years to reduce biased ness of the results.

Firms should be pragmatic about the amount of effort required in

formulating strategy. Be willing to gather insight and improve decision
making reasonable doubt that any particular strategy is correct.
Strategy should not be over planned. Ideally, it should emerge as part of an
interactive process of thought, hypothesis, and experimentation. The
process should combine analysis and intention and should be open ended.
There should never be a final solution, strategy should always evolve and
continually deepen.

ccxlv

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